DENVER—The House has tentatively approved a bill that would allow hospitals to charge provider fees to cover the cost of caring for uninsured patients and to help ensure hospital care continues to be available.
Supporters say the measure approved Tuesday would keep health care costs down and reduce the number of people seeking care in emergency rooms.
They said the measure (House Bill 1293) would provide coverage to nearly 100,000 Coloradans and provide some guarantee hospital care is available to the other 700,000 Coloradans, including 180,000 children, who would still need coverage. The bill faces a third reading before it goes to the Senate.
Opponents said no one knows how much the fees would cost or who would pay the estimated $600 million a year.
Rep. Cory Gardner, Y-Yuma, tried to cap the fees at $2,000 per patient a day, but Democrats refused to impose any cap, saying the state shouldn’t limit the amount of federal money hospitals could receive.
The new revenue will be used for federal matching funds, for total new revenue of $1.2 billion annually, said Rep. Jim Riesberg, D-Greeley, a supporter.
Supporters said many of those without insurance end up in emergency rooms, driving up the cost of healthcare for the insured.
“This is a giant step forward to both expand coverage for the uninsured and to save health care consumers money. Increasing coverage and reimbursement will address one of the key drivers of cost-shifting to the private sector and the insured. It will help stem rising costs for everyone, without new taxes,” Riesberg said.
