Gov. Bill Ritter will sign an executive order today that health care advocates say is key to turning the federal government’s vague framework for reform into reality in Colorado.
The governor’s order will create a board of health-policy advisers to guide the transition to a new health system — everything from setting up a state insurance exchange to making sure the insurance commissioner has authority to guard against companies rejecting someone for being sick.
Ritter plans to sign the order, along with four new state laws intended to improve health care in Colorado, during a ceremony at the Wellington E. Webb Center For Primary Care in Denver, 301 W. Sixth Ave.
The board of advisers Ritter will create with his signature will determine the success of health reform in Colorado, supporters said.
“This is critical,” said Denise de Percin, executive director of the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative. “There are 2,000 pages in the (federal) bill. It sets out some framework but not a lot of detail for how to build a new health care system or improve on the system.”
The state has to determine such things as which agency should run the insurance exchange and how to expand health coverage in Colorado when there is a doctor shortage, especially in rural areas.
An insurance exchange, where businesses and individuals could shop for health insurance among private companies and a government option, could end up looking like “a flea market or the stairway to heaven” depending on how the state organizes it, de Percin said. “If done right, it could really be the thing that expands coverage in this state,” she said.
The governor’s panel will include experts on health care from the private, public and nonprofit sector, said Liza Fox, one of Ritter’s policy analysts for health. The group will branch out to create side panels on specific areas of expertise, she said.
Ritter also will sign four bills into law, two of which are intended to make it easier for people to understand the insurance industry. The so-called “plain-language bill” requires companies to write their forms at the reading level of a 10th-grader.
Another bill forces companies to follow set standards when describing what benefits are covered. That way, a consumer can compare the same section on benefits from different companies to see which one offers better coverage, Fox said.
The other two bills are aimed at growing the health care workforce in anticipation of thousands of uninsured joining the insurance rolls.
One bill will expand a loan-forgiveness program for doctors, nurses and other health care workers willing to work in rural and underserved areas. The state now puts about $160,000 into the program annually, but the new setup will allow Colorado to attract millions of dollars from the federal government and private foundations, Fox said.
The other legislation expands eligibility in a loan-forgiveness program for nurse educators, who must have a master’s or doctoral degree to teach. Community colleges have lengthy waiting lists for nursing school in part because of a lack of instructors.
Jennifer Brown: 303-954-1593 or jenbrown@denverpost.com
