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Healthcare Healthcare should not be benefit of wealth. Did you know our great state is ranked 33rd in Infant Mortality? Or that we rank 21st in the number of Doctors per 100,000 residents? Or that we rank 34th in our mental health depression status. We can and we must do better. In 2007, total national health expenditures were expected to rise 6.9 percent — two times the rate of inflation.1 Total spending was $2.3 TRILLION in 2007, or $7600 per person. Total health care spending represented 16 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP). In the U.S., health care spending is expected to increase at similar levels for the next decade reaching $4.2 TRILLION in 2016, or 20 percent of GDP. In 2007, employer health insurance premiums increased by 6.1 percent - two times the rate of inflation. The annual premium for an employer health plan covering a family of four averaged nearly $12,100. The annual premium for single coverage averaged over $4,400.2 Experts agree that our health care system is riddled with inefficiencies, excessive administrative expenses, inflated prices, poor management, and inappropriate care, waste and fraud. These problems significantly increase the cost of medical care and health insurance for employers and workers and affect the security of families. One in four Americans say their family has had a problem paying for medical care during the past year, up 7 percentage points over the past nine years. Nearly 30 percent say someone in their family has delayed medical care in the past year, a new high based on recent polling. Most say the medical condition was at least somewhat serious. A recent study by Harvard University researchers found that the average out-of-pocket medical debt for those who filed for bankruptcy was $12,000. The study noted that 68 percent of those who filed for bankruptcy had health insurance. In addition, the study found that 50 percent of all bankruptcy filings were partly the result of medical expenses. Every 30 seconds in the United States someone files for bankruptcy in the aftermath of a serious health problem. One half of workers in the lowest-compensation jobs and one-half of workers in mid range-compensation jobs either had problems with medical bills in a 12-month period or were paying off accrued debt. One-quarter of workers in higher-compensated positions also reported problems with medical bills or were paying off accrued debt. Employer and employee health insurance costs. Premiums for employer-based health insurance rose by 6.1 percent in 2007. Small employers saw their premiums, on average, increase 5.5 percent. Firms with less than 24 workers, experienced an increase of 6.8 percent. The annual premium that a health insurer charges an employer for a health plan covering a family of four averaged $12,100 in 2007. Workers contributed nearly $3,300, or 10 percent more than they did in 2006. The annual premiums for family coverage significantly eclipsed the gross earnings for a full-time, minimum-wage worker ($10,712). Workers are now paying $1,400 more in premiums annually for family coverage than they did in 2000. Since 2000, employment-based health insurance premiums have increased 100 percent, compared to cumulative inflation of 24 percent and cumulative wage growth of 21 percent during the same period. Health insurance expenses are the fastest growing cost component for employers. Unless something changes dramatically, health insurance costs will overtake profits by 2008. We have a looming problem with having enough Healthcare Providers in our state. As the American population ages with the baby boomers, we will need more healthcare providers including doctors, nurses, medical technicians, therapists, etc. I will support programs to incent our young people to go into the medical profession and practice that profession in Colorado. Likewise, I will support incentives for healthcare providers to move from other locations to Colorado to practice their procession. Competition in hospital and healthcare provides leads to better choices for Coloradans. County Supported Facilities must be able to compete in quality and price. To do so, they need sufficient resources. Senate District 4 is a very large area including large rural areas. We need urgent care facilities in our rural areas with state of the art equipment. County facilities need to be at par or better than commercial facilities. I will fight for funding so that we are prepared for the surge in population and the needs of our veterans. Uninsured Citizens live a life of anxiety fearing they or some one in the family will become sick or get hurt and they will not be able to afford quality healthcare. Uninsured Citizens use emergency services for routine healthcare because it is the only healthcare available. It would be more cost effective for the state to assist uninsured citizens obtain insurance than for our citizens to support the uninsured through higher insurance costs and higher taxes. I will support programs provide insurance for those who do not qualify for Medicaid but can not afford insurance for themselves and/or their families. I support programs to provide insurance for all Coloradans. There are approximately 700,000 Coloradans, or 17% of the state, do not have health insurance. Access to qualified insurance programs allows our citizens to live healthier, less stressful lives which in turn mean better and longer lives. Citizens without insurance not only have limited to no healthcare options, they live a more stressful life worrying about theirs’ and their families’ health. I believe employer provided healthcare insurance allows for reduced costs through the economies of representing a group when bargaining for better rates. The business community has historically seen the provision of health insurance for its employees as a standard cost of doing business. I think all employers should view insurance in that manner. I will support legislation which will allow other groups to bargain collectively for better insurance coverage and rates. Employees should be able to opt out of the employer provided insurance for another group’s insurance package and receive additional compensation from the employer in lieu of insurance coverage. Nurses, in my view, do all the heavy lifting in the healthcare industry. We need to attract more of the best qualified nurses to our state and we need to promote programs for young Coloradans to pursue a nursing career. Safe workplace standards for nurses including staffing standards means better quality healthcare for Coloradans. I will support sate staffing standards and public disclosure to ensure these standards are met. I will propose legislation to forgive tuition loans for nurses who commit to practice nursing in Colorado for some number of years after completing their nursing program. I would include nurses who were educated in Colorado schools as well as other certified nursing training programs. Additionally, I will propose complete tuition reimbursement for nurses who continue their education while working in nursing in Colorado. I want to make it easy for nurses to choose to make Colorado their home as well as retain nurses who want to advance in their careers. I will propose similar legislation for doctors who choose to live and work in Colorado. Veterans should be able to go to the healthcare provider of their choice. The VA system should be for special services, not general health care. Veterans should access to the same facilities and services as the citizens they protect. The current system requires vets to go to an overwhelmed VA facility. Regardless of how we might feel about the Iraq War, we need to prepare for the additional capacity which will be needed to support the vets from the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars. By allowing vets to use local services for routine healthcare, the VA system can focus on the special services needed by vets. Please click the link below to share your thoughts about this issue. Click here to send comments about issue - Healthcare.
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