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
For general resources on state expansions, see Other Resources.
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