Chamber Takes Stand Against Public Option Bill

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Last week, Rep. Dylan Roberts (D-Avon), Rep. Iman Jodeh (D-Aurora) and Sen. Kerry Donovan (D-Vail) introduced House Bill 1232, “Standardized Health Benefit Plan Colorado Option,” and it will go to the Committee on Health & Insurance next week. The legislation requires that health insurance carriers reduce premiums for individual and small business market plans by 20% by the end of 2024. If the Commissioner of Insurance believes that the carriers failed to meet that goal, a public health insurance option designed by an elected board would be authorized in Colorado.

With health care premiums in the individual market falling in Colorado and our economy still in recovery, now is not the time to introduce sweeping and risky legislation that would increase costs for most Coloradans, reduce competition and consumer choice, and transfer power to an appointed member of the executive branch without appropriate legislative oversight.

We’re also concerned that the timelines and arbitrary thresholds in the bill almost guarantee that the private sector won’t have the time or opportunity to meet the goals of lowering premiums, turning a public option into a foregone conclusion, and we are opposed to any form of price-setting. This legislation directs carriers to provide a specific government product and dictates the cost of that product, ensuring that we lose all the value associated with a competitive marketplace. We believe in a market-based, stepwise approach that reduces health care costs for all Coloradans.

Our President and CEO Kelly Brough will testify to these points at next week’s hearing. Read her statement about the legislation released last week.

Governor and Lawmakers Seek Input on Colorado’s Stimulus Funding 

Beginning Sunday, Gov. Jared Polis and legislators will tour the state to find out how people want to spend the $27 billion that Colorado will receive from the latest COVID-19 stimulus bill. We encourage you to make your voices heard at these meetings, so legislators consider how this funding can best support employers and employees statewide.

Specifically, we want the state to make sure some of these funds go toward shoring up the state’s unemployment insurance fund, which was emptied last summer as the pandemic was forcing business closures. The state has borrowed money from the federal government since then to help people who lost their jobs, in addition to paying out a portion of the 1.1 million fraudulent claims that were not flagged before payment was issued.

We maintain that the state – not employers – should cover the cost of those fraudulent claims. We also want lawmakers to use the federal funds before thinking about placing more burdens on businesses to make up money, like rolling back tax exemptions and credits that are helping employers continue to keep employees on the payroll.

Here is the tentative schedule for meetings statewide:

  • Pueblo and Southern Colorado – Sunday, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
  • Western Slope – Sunday, 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
  • Northern Colorado – Tuesday, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
  • Metro Denver North – Thursday, April 1, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
  • Four Corners – Saturday, April 3, 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
  • Metro Denver South – Saturday, April 3, 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
  • Colorado Springs – Monday, April 5, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
  • Eastern Plains – Wednesday, April 7, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Leaders also expect to hold industry and community-specific meetings with times and dates still to be determined.

For more information on these meetings, visit buildbackstrongerco.com.

Chamber Takes Positions on Four Other Bills 

This week, the Chamber took positions on four other bills in addition to the public option.

Support 

Oppose 

Visit our current legislation page to see all our positions and testimony so far this session.