The 2011 legislative session ended on May 11, 2011 and various measures passed and failed that will impact the constituents of the Chronic Care Collaborative (CCC). This year we worked together to determine CCC priority bills, and how to best support our constituents on various pieces of legislation through amendments. The following is a summary of the most stand-out bills of the session which consumed the CCC’s attention.
Senate Bill 6, by Sen. Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud, developing an alternative medical assistance program for the elderly failed. This program would allow a Medicaid-eligible individual to choose between Medicaid and receiving an amount equal to 70 percent of the medical assistance benefits they would have received from Medicaid. This proposal contradicted CCC’s position on long term care and its priority to maximize Medicaid benefits. In addition to the CCC strongly opposing SB-6, so did Governor Hickenlooper and it was quickly postponed indefinitely.
Senate Bill 43, by Sen. Pat Steadman, D-Denver, and Rep. Tom Massey, R- Poncha Springs, describing a plan for the proper disposal of home-generated sharps did not pass but was supported by some of the CCC members. The measure prescribed that pharmaceutical manufacturers devise a plan how to properly dispose of at-home self-administered sharps. The proposal did not pass; no such plan shall be mandated from these manufacturers.
Senate Bill 200, by Sen. Betty Boyd and Rep. Amy Stephens, R-Monument, which outlines a governance structure for a Colorado-based Health Benefit Exchange, was actively supported by the CCC and did pass. Our efforts involved constituent outreach, action alerts, and phone calls to the Legislative Council urging the support of SB-200 without the addition of any harmful amendments. Ideally this Exchange will increase the accessibility and affordability of health insurance, particularly those who were previously denied due to a pre-existing condition. The passing of this measure was a challenge but a huge success for us and all of Colorado.
House Bill 1025 proved to be another success for the CCC; HB 1025, by Rep. Janek Joshi, R-Colorado Springs, and by Sen. Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud, abolishing the hospital provider fees for in- and out-patient services was defeated. HB-1025 proposed to nullify the “Health Care Affordability Act of 2009” and did not comply with CCC’s priorities.
Adhering to the CCC’s goals and members’ interests, House Bill 1216, by Rep. Jim Riesberg, D-Greeley, and Sen. Irene Aguilar, D-Denver, concerning the revenue collected from the purchase of unique vehicle registration numbers to fund a program aimed at increasing the enrollment of Coloradans into the programs SSI/SSDI for which they already qualify. HB 1216 was supported in particular by CCC members and other organizations. This fund will directly impact and benefit a variety of our citizens.
House Bill 1273, sponsored by Rep. B.J. Nikkel, R-Loveland, House Majority Leader Amy Stephens, R-Monument, and the Senate Minority Leader Mike Kopp, R-Littleton, permitting the state of Colorado to opt out of the federal health care reform and create an interstate compact posed a potential threat but did not pass. Authorization would have been given to the state of Colorado such that it could collaborate with other states to create an interstate compact permitting the state to be exempt from the federal law regulating health care. The unintended consequences and possible legal issues that would have ensued had this bill passed would have been innumerable. The goals of such a compact did not align with the well-being of Colorado citizens living with chronic diseases and gratefully did not succeed.
Of the hundreds of bills proposed at the Capitol during the Legislative Session of 2011, these few were the Chronic Care Collabortive’s top priorities. We monitored a variety of others that could have potentially demanded more of our attention; our focus was primarily Senate Bill 200 and its opposing bill, House Bill 1273. With the help of our support, a health benefit exchange is underway in Colorado, which we hope will promote the needs of Coloradans living with chronic diseases.