State Expansions: Colorado

Colorado's Blue Ribbon Commission for Health Care Reform (also known as the "208 Commission") was established during the 2006 legislative session and is required to make recommendations on comprehensive health care reform. The Colorado Consumer Health Initiative (CCHI) worked with other groups to create a comprehensive proposal for the 208 Commission to consider that would expand access to affordable, meaningful health coverage. The proposal, Connecting Care and Health in Colorado, was written with collaborative technical assistance from Families USA and Community Catalyst and was submitted to the commission in spring 2007. Although the proposal was not selected for further evaluation, it could serve as a good model for advocates looking at health reform in their state.

In November 2007, the 208 Commission completed its recommendations for comprehensive health care reform, and the commission will submit a final report to the Colorado General Assembly in January 2008.

Building on the momentum of the 208 Commission process, state lawmakers enacted important incremental reforms during the 2007-2008 legislative session, including:

• An expansion of the Children’s Health Insurance Program, called CHP+, to children in families earning less than 225 percent of the federal poverty level, or about $47,700, for a family of three.
• A new requirement that insurers submit premium increases for prior approval by the Insurance Commissioner. For more information, see the Fair Accountable Insurance Rates Act (FAIR).

Colorado Expansion Resources

• The Cost of Care: Can Coloradans Afford Health Care? (The Colorado Center on Law and Policy, April 2009)
• Colorado Consumer Health Initiative
• Blue Ribbon Commission for Healthcare Reform—Proposals  

Colorado in the News

• Health Study Finds Family Budgets Bare (Denver Post, April 30, 2009)
• Ritter Signs Health Care Reform Bill (ABC 7 News, April 21, 2009)
• Governor Ritter Applauds New Consumer Insurance Protection and Education Tool (Office of Governor Bill Ritter, Jr., March 23, 2009)
• Bills Push Major Insurance Reforms (Rocky Mountain News, February 4, 2009)
• Kaiser Returning $155 Million to Clients (The Denver Post, June 24, 2008)
• Ritter signs 11 ‘building blocks of health agenda: New laws cover more uninsured kids, those with special needs (Rocky Mountain News, June 4, 2008)
• The FAIR Act will keep health insurance premiums in check (Denver Post, April 16, 2008) 
• Democrats unveil new health bills (Denver Post, March 31, 2008)   
• Ritter’s health care panel pitches plan (Denver Post, January 31, 2008)

For general resources on state expansions, see Other Resources.

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