Press Room
Senator Boyd responds to report today that 1.5 million Coloradans do not have adequate health care coverage
Tuesday, November 15 2011
“We won't sit idly by as our friends and family members suffer”
DENVER— Today, Senator Betty Boyd (D-Lakewood) responded to a new survey released by the Colorado Trust that shows that more than 1.5 million – or nearly one in three – Coloradans have either no health care coverage at all, or their health insurance does not adequately cover the costs of medically necessary services relative to family income. The findings also show more Coloradans are "chronically uninsured"; more than 60 percent of uninsured Coloradans have not had health insurance for at least a year, up from 56 percent in the baseline 2008-2009 survey.
Senator Boyd sponsored the Colorado Health Benefit Exchange Act (Senate Bill 200), the bill which established the Colorado Health Exchange, a single marketplace to help facilitate the purchase of health insurance for individuals and small businesses in Colorado. That program is in the process of being implemented.
Senator Boyd offered the following comment on the Colorado Trust survey released today:
"This report is not a surprise to any of us who have been fighting for more affordable health care for all Coloradans. This is the reason we came together to pass the bi-partisan health exchange bill last session. We won't sit idly by as our friends and family members suffer because they cannot afford health coverage."
The purpose of the Colorado Health Exchange is to help individuals and small employers in Colorado make informed decisions about purchasing health insurance. This Exchange will help the state to be more efficient, the insurance industry more competitive, and the people of Colorado healthier, happier and more productive. At least 350,000 Coloradans in the individual and small employer insurance markets will be eligible to purchase insurance through the Exchange program.
Visit http://www.coloradotrust.org to read the study released today.
