Gov. John Hickenlooper issued his first veto of the session Tuesday, nixing a measure that would have required certain parents whose children are enrolled in a state health-care plan to pay higher premiums.
The governor said Senate Bill 213 would have increased premiums costs a “dramatic” 1,000 percent, possibly pushing as many as 2,500 kids out of the program intended to help the struggling.
But Republicans groused, saying the Democratic governor missed his chance at entitlement reform.
“It’s obvious that some of these parents have disposable income that is going into beer, cigarettes and lottery tickets,” said Sen. Greg Brophy, R-Wray.
“I just think it’s smart from an economic perspective that they actually participate in the cost of their health care.”
In his veto message, Hickenlooper said the state this summer and fall will evaluate its premium system and might be able to achieve results without legislation.
“The focus will be to implement a change that is minimally disruptive, administratively efficient, effective and elegant, and supports the goal of ensuring that kids have access to coverage,” the governor wrote.
The governor has until June 10 to act upon bills approved by the legislature, which adjourned on May 11.
Senate Bill 213 concerned the Children’s Basic Health Plan, or CHP+, which covers low-income pregnant women and children whose families make too much to qualify for Medicaid.
The bill would have required families to pay monthly premiums of $20 for the first child and $10 for each additional child, with a limit of $50 per month per family. Currently, families pay an annual fee of $25 for one child or $35 for more than one child.
However, the fee is waived for families with incomes less than 150 percent of the federal poverty line and pregnant women.
The monthly premiums would only be required of families with household incomes of between 205 percent and 250 percent of the federal poverty level, a class of people who were added in an eligibility expansion in 2009 that was funded by a new fee on hospitals.
Under the expansion, a family of four with a total income of $55,875 per year could qualify for CHP+.
