Our Work
A critical moment has arrived for the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
We say that every few months, it seems, but it’s still true. The law survived multiple attempts to repeal it in Congress this year. Now, its fifth open enrollment period is about to begin, amid attempts by the White House to degrade the law.
President Donald Trump today declared opioid abuse a nationwide public health emergency and said his administration will take aggressive steps to address the epidemic’s causes and effects.
“It is time to liberate our communities from this scourge of drug addiction,” he said in a speech at the White House. “I am directing all executive agencies to use every appropriate emergency authority to fight the opioid crisis.”
Last month, the Colorado Health Institute released results from the 2017 Colorado Health Access Survey. The CHAS gives Coloradans data and insights about what’s happening in health care regionally and statewide. This year’s report included some striking figures: We learned that the uninsured rate remained at an all-time low (just 6.5 percent!) and that, for the first time, less than half of Coloradans get health insurance through their employers.
Efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) moved from Congress to the Oval Office this week, and they could spell big changes for Colorado’s insurance market and higher prices for many Coloradans.
This has been a year of failed attempts to repeal major portions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), but the fight is not over. On Friday, the Trump administration released new rules that could spell big changes for at least 53,000 Colorado women.
The regulations overturn the Obama-era mandate requiring employers offering health insurance benefits to include birth control in the coverage (with limited exceptions). Under the proposed changes, any company — large or small, public or private — can request a moral or religious exemption to the mandate and stop covering birth control.
For the first time in nearly 11 months, it’s probably safe for advocates of health coverage to exhale. At least for a moment.
Back in July, the last time Republicans in the U.S. Senate nearly repealed major portions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) but failed at the last minute, the Colorado Health Institute published a blog title “Obituary for the Undead.” The blog warned that the repeal bill was still alive and could be taken up again at any moment.
And we're off!
Team CHI officially kicked off #2017CHAS season Monday. We're pulling out all the stops - and adding up the mileage - to unveil the results of the 2017 Colorado Health Access Survey (CHAS) across the state. Check back frequently to get updates in this blog. We'll take you with us to our discussions with Coloradans about the health insurance landscape of 2017.
Wednesday, September 20
8:30 a.m. Across Colorado
From rugged mountains to grassy plains, there is a landscape for every taste and every Coloradan.
Rural and frontier geographies also face unique and varied health issues, especially when it comes to caring for their most vulnerable residents. And rural health care providers — including certified rural health clinics and community safety net clinics —are on the front lines of providing that care.
Next week marks the release of the 2017 Colorado Health Access Survey (CHAS) results. The survey is the preeminent source of information on health care coverage and access in Colorado. But it is not the only source of uninsured estimates.
State officials have announced that prices on Colorado’s individual market for 2018 health plans will rise an average of 26.7 percent.