Health is a fragile thing. We’ve been told this over and over, but often it’s hard to imagine that we are anything but invincible. There are certain moments in our lives when that changes. The world is currently living through one of those moments. But for us, that moment came when we were given a […]
Affordable Care Act
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Lowering health care costs is essential, but must be done in the right way
In the U.S. and Colorado, health care costs are too high. Many individuals struggle to pay their insurance premiums and health care bills, and rising deductibles mean patients are responsible for increasing percentages of their total health care costs. Nationwide, health care accounts for about 18% of the total gross domestic product. This is unsustainable, […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Colorado’s public option should maximize competition and affordability. Here’s how.
Legislative leaders and Gov. Jared Polis have rightly identified increasing competition and improving affordability as core priorities for the proposed public option health insurance program. Whether or not it will achieve these goals could hinge on an important question that has been drowned out in this largely ideological debate: should all health plans in the […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Let’s stop choosing between buying food or healthcare. The urgent need for Medicare-for-all
According to a recent Colorado Health Institute report for the Colorado Strategic Action Planning Group on Aging, over half a million Coloradans serve as unpaid caregivers for individuals over the age of 50. Many of these caregivers simultaneously work for hard-earned paychecks in jobs outside of their caregiving responsibilities. However, caregiving often has a negative […]
Posted inHealth, News, Politics and Government
What would happen if the Affordable Care Act — also known as Obamacare — went away?
By Julie Rovner, Kaiser Health News Any day now, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans could rule the entire Affordable Care Act unconstitutional. At least it seemed that two of the three appeals court judges were leaning that way during oral arguments in the case, State of Texas v. USA, in July. Trump administration health officials […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Sen. Gardner, prioritize heath care of Colorado families, not special interests
Two years ago, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. On top of its obvious impact on my health, that diagnosis has forever changed my life because, from now on, I will always be marked as having a pre-existing condition. This scares me. It scares me because I worry every day that our elected officials will […]
Posted inBusiness, Growth, Health, News, Politics and Government
Why Colorado hospitals are getting into the housing business
By Markian Hawryluk, Kaiser Health News One patient at Denver Health, the city’s largest safety net hospital, occupied a bed for more than four years — a hospital record of 1,558 days. Another admitted for a hard-to-treat bacterial infection needed eight weeks of at-home IV antibiotics, but had no home. A third, with dementia, came […]
Posted inPolitics and Government
A prominent Republican announces challenge to Jason Crow amid uncertainty GOP can win back 6th District
A year ago at this time, the battle for the 6th Congressional District drew national attention and big money as a top-tier swing district in the fight for control of the U.S. House. Jason Crow won that race by defeating five-term Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman, making him the first Democrat elected to hold the […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Nicolais: Could Hickenlooper clear the field as Cory Gardner did in 2014? Not likely.
Just under six years ago, then U.S. Rep. Cory Gardner entered the 2014 U.S. Senate race and cleared the GOP field. Now Colorado politicos wait expectantly to see if former Gov. John Hickenlooper will attempt the same feat on the Democratic side in the race to meet Gardner in 2020’s general election. Unfortunately for Hickenlooper, […]
Posted inBusiness, Health, News, Politics and Government
Colorado’s reinsurance program is the biggest thing to happen to health care in the state in years. It might not last.
Colorado officials announced Wednesday that the state’s reinsurance program — responsible for what is projected to be a dramatic decline in health insurance prices for some people in 2020 — has received federal approval and, thus, will go into effect. This is not a small deal. “It’s the biggest tangible step we’ve seen in reducing […]