It is plain and simple: Coloradans are being ripped off on the price of health care and prescription drugs.

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October 22, 2019

Dear John,

It is plain and simple: Coloradans are being ripped off on the price of health care and prescription drugs. While traveling across the state, especially in our rural and mountain communities, I hear time and again the strain healthcare bills are causing for people and for businesses.

That is why we tackled this head on. And I am proud to report that we are making major progress. Alongside our bipartisan legislative champions, we passed a slate of bills to save you money on healthcare in the short and long term.

Just this month, the Division of Insurance announced that our reinsurance program will reduce rates on the individual market on average of 20.2% across the state! For reference, this means that the average family of 4 in Silverthorne will save $13,885/year, in Durango will save $10,568/year, and and individual in San Luis will save $2,196/year. These rate reduction will go in place this coming year on January 1st.

© 2019 Alec Williams

While We are proud of the relief to the pocket books of many Coloradans in the first nine months, I know we have more work to do to lower costs, increase coverage, and ensure quality care. Looking forward, my administration is working to implement hospital cost transparency, receive approval from the federal government to import prescription drugs, and supporting innovation to lower healthcare costs.

We've made a lot of progress, but the truth is that the best solutions often come from people outside the political bubble, not from government officials or deep-pocketed special interests with their own agenda. We are always looking for more ideas to save you money on healthcare, and I want to encourage you to fill out the survey to help us do even more.
Governor Jared Polis


** WHAT'S NEW?
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Coloradans are being forced to pay too much for healthcare. In fact, some residents in Colorado’s rural communities and the high country are paying some of the highest prices for healthcare in our entire country. From Durango to Denver to Yuma, we’ve had enough. This year, Governor Polis and a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers are making historic progress to lower healthcare costs.

Just this month, the Division of Insurance released their projected savings for Coloradans who receive care on the individual market as a result of the new bipartisan reinsurance program we passed this year. The reinsurance program helps insurance companies offset the highest-cost cases, which means lower premiums across the board. Coloradans who buy healthcare on the individual market for themselves or their families will see an average decrease in their premiums of 20.2%.

Alongside the reinsurance program, Governor Polis signed legislation to:

✓Curb out of network “surprise” billing
✓Cap the out-of-pocket cost of insulin at $100 per month
✓Import prescription drugs from Canada
✓Support healthcare innovation
✓Ensure transparency in hospital costs
✓Develop a state-based insurance option to give Coloradans more freedom and choice, and drive down prices through increased competition

With the passage of this legislative slate, the administration is making good on its promise to tackle high healthcare costs, which frees up money that Coloradans can spend on other household priorities -- groceries, utility bills, saving for college, or taking a vacation every once in a while.


** GET INVOLVED
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We are continually looking for qualified candidates to serve on almost 300 boards and commissions that oversee and affect your day-to-day lives as Coloradans. Below are a few recent opening but check out the full list HERE ([link removed])

Upcoming Openings
* First Judicial District Nominating
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* Adams State University
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* CSU System
* Community Colleges & Occupational Education
* Fort Lewis College
* Metropolitan State University of Denver
* Colorado School of Mines
* University of Northern Colorado
* Western Colorado University


** TEAM UPDATE
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The Colorado Division of Insurance under the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) has been hard at work implementing many of the health care reforms enacted this year. Priority items include the reinsurance program, which is projected to save an average of 20.2% statewide on insurance premiums in the individual insurance market.

In addition to the reinsurance program, the Division of Insurance has continued to work with Peak Health Alliance in Summit County, an innovative local model that is saving families money on health care. Peak Health Alliance brought together community members in the individual health insurance, small group, and the large group markets to negotiate prices directly with providers, and then worked with carriers to use those negotiated prices to offer cheaper plans. Peak Health Alliance recently released their projected rate decreases, which, when combined with the savings from the reinsurance program, will mean that people in Summit County will see savings of between 39% and 47% compared to last year! This program is currently being explored as a model for the entire state. By pooling our resources and sticking together, we can negotiate better rates because we’re essentially buying in bulk. We are hoping communities, municipalities, businesses, and school districts will be interested in
working in a similar fashion to build as much purchasing power as we can to bring down insurance costs.


** WE NEED YOUR INPUT!
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The Governor's office is here to serve you, the people. So, we need your input to make sure we are focused on the right issues. Please let us know your healthcare priorities for the state by taking this short survey!
Take the Survey ([link removed])


** LT. GOVERNOR’S UPDATE
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When Governor Polis asked me to serve alongside him as Lt. Governor and head of the Office of Saving People Money on Health Care, he asked me for a specific reason: The issue is personal for me.

I fought and beat cancer four times, but that was not without obstacles. I lost my job, my insurance, even my marriage -- and I had to figure out how to put food on the table for my two little girls, who were just 3 and 5 at the time. All while struggling with the high cost of the medical care I was receiving.

After surviving cancer, I felt like I had been given the gift of life back, and I wanted to fight on behalf of others. I know firsthand the sacrifices people face when the cost of health care is crippling and now as Lieutenant Governor of Colorado, I am honored to lead the Office of Saving People Money on Health Care. Governor Polis selected me to do this because I am a Patient Champion. I am a patient. I have walked in these shoes, and my life’s work is about protecting patients and ensuring everyone gets the health care they need and deserve.

The first priority is to immediately address the high costs of care in rural and mountain communities. And as the Governor stated, we have made significant strides in this area. The second priority is to push to discover new innovative models to reduce the cost of care in the long term, and to correct structural issues in our health care system that leave Americans paying twice as much for health care as the rest of the developed world. The third priority is that we must approach this work in a way to ensure cultural responsiveness and equitable access for all Coloradans no matter their geographic location, insurance coverage, income level, race, religion, sex, national origin, language, age, disability, immigration status or political affiliation or belief.

When we say health care is a right, we mean it. I am excited to continue working alongside you to ensure all Coloradans are able to live a healthy life.

Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera



** JOIN THE TEAM
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