Countering the narrative that the Colorado Option works and is saving people (esp rural people) money. Speak up for a bill to force Polis-appointed committees to hold listening sessions.
Posting in the interest of counterpoint--if you just listened to the governor you'd hear only good things about the Colorado option and if you just listened to the mainstream Front Range media, you'd hear his words and little else.
When I've written in the past about health insurance in this state it has often sparked comment from rural readers about either the expense, lack, or both of health coverage (particularly in the part of the market where you'd have to buy your own health insurance) for rural Coloradans.
Quite a contrast because when Polis is up in front of Front Range media, he blathers on about how wonderful Colorado's markets are and the media dutifully scribe and share what they're told.
Thus the reason for sharing the op ed below: it paints a picture of the Colorado Option that is a stark contrast to what you will see elsewhere in the mainstream media, and it takes the issue from the perspective of someone in a rural area.
The story of single payer health insurance here in Colorado lately has been one (especially in rural areas) of a lack of providers. There's no guarantee, but I have the strong suspicion that the future of it, given the new regulations and restrictions re. price and coverage requirements, will be a lack of new entrants into the market.
The following quote from the op ed sums it up well:
"Before 2021, Colorado had health insurance premiums that were lower than most other states, a reasonably competitive marketplace and set a good example for the country in health care, especially compared to problems in many other states. Since the law took effect, prices have gone up year over year while our marketplace has grown distressingly consolidated."
For as much as our "Libertarian" governor talks about how he is in facvor of solutions to the housing problem that remove restrictions to supply, I find it odd that he doesn't see the contradiction inherent in saying that about housing while doing the exact opposite for insurance. Of course, with regard to insurance, he can always hide behind his insurance commissioner and blame him whenever anyone comes complaining.
If you're in the single payer market for health insurance and from a rural area what has your experience been? Does it match the op ed? If you feel moved to share, please do in the comments.
https://thebusinesstimes.com/colorado-option-fails-rural-residents/
Have concerns about the transparency of CPW? Have concerns about how well they listen? Here is something you can do.
A bill is up for committee this Thursday the 18th (see the links below for the bill and the committee) that you have the opportunity to speak up on.
There are more details, but the fastest way to get a sense of what the bill does comes from the summary. It's too lengthy to put the text in here, so I attached it as a screenshot.
The part that made it stick out to me was the idea that it will renew the requirement that the members of the boards mentioned (CPW is one) that are appointed by the governor and thus not elected (nor inclined to go out in person to a town hall) must go out in public and hold listening sessions.
Given my recent experience with CPW Commissioners, given EVERYONE's recent experience with wolves, I think this is a needed change.
I signed up to testify at the hearing and hope to make it. As I often do, I also wrote an open email in support should I not be able to make the hearing.
I urge you, if you've felt there's some needed fixes to the way CPW and/or the other boards mentioned run things, to join me in writing or speaking up.
My email is below if it is of help.
Hello to all,
My name is Cory Gaines. I am a lifelong Coloradan and resident of Logan County. I am hoping to testify at the hearing on the 18th, but if my teaching schedule doesn't allow it, I wanted to send this open email. If I am not at the meeting and any recipient would think it helpful, please feel free to read any or all of the below into the record.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and by association the Department of Natural Resources has a transparency and credibility problem. There have been numerous calls coming from all over the state, even from one of the CPW Commissioners herself. Quoting a January 12th FencePost article by Rachel Gabel, Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commissioner Marie Haskett had this to say, "'Wildlife does not understand politics, nor should the management of wildlife be politically driven,' she said. 'This commission was asked to fast track wolves by the governor. This commission and staff did not do that. This commission spent two years, sometimes with two meetings per month, working diligently to complete and approve a wolf plan. Dec. 18 was a sad day because this commission was not notified nor invited to the first wolf release,' she said. 'Nor were the people who worked countless hours invited to the second or third wolf release.'"
Still despite this, and the apologies and promises of a change by CPW Director Jeff Davis, I sincerely wonder whether or not there will be action to follow the words. I say this because at the very same meeting where Mr. Davis offers his apology, my own words echoing the sentiments of some of the commissioners themselves were interrupted: I was cut off and hung up on by Commissioner Dallas May because I had the temerity to call CPW on the fact that Gov Polis and his husband were allowed to be at the wolf release with a select group of media while no local officials were notified until it was a fait accompli.
Rebuilding trust for CPW in this state will be a process. I can tell you from my personal experience interacting with them that rebuilding trust will not be easy. That is why I am in support of this bill.
For CPW to rebuild trust among all Coloradans they will need to actually listen. They will need to have conversations with people that disagree. They may have to hear things that they are not comfortable with. I sympathize as a college instructor because I have to do course evaluations and sometimes I hear things that I don't want to. I often wonder whether I would do the evaluations if I were not forced to.
I think the same can be said for CPW here. I'm not saying they never listen, but perhaps they, like me, need to be required to listen on a regular schedule to make sure that they hear more Coloradans than they currently do. This bill will not fix all the problems CPW has, but it's a good start. I urge you to vote yes.
C
https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb24-026
https://leg.colorado.gov/committees/agriculture-natural-resources/2023-regular-session