Ross Brooks, CEO, Patient
First, we celebrate the implementation of the Colorado Option, which passed the Colorado legislature in 2021, due in large part to the leadership of our state elected officials, partners, patients, and staff. The Colorado Option is a state-specific health coverage plan that increases health coverage enrollment and lowers health care costs, making insurance more affordable and accessible for nearly 10,000 Coloradans starting in 2023. It is designed to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities by providing new coverage options for Coloradans. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) projects that the Colorado Option “is expected to lower premiums by an average of approximately $132 per person per month (or 22%).” To read more about the Colorado Option, click here.
In 2022, the Colorado legislature passed additional legislation to provide Medicaid coverage to undocumented pregnant women and their children through House Bill 22-1289, called “Cover All Coloradans.” Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed Cover All Coloradans into law on June 7, 2022. Under the law, pregnant undocumented people who would otherwise qualify for Medicaid and the Children’s Basic Health Plan (CHP+) would be provided full health insurance coverage for up to a year following a child’s birth. Undocumented children will be eligible until they turn 18. We celebrate the leadership of our state elected officials, partners, patients, and staff for helping to pass this essential legislation. For more on Cover All Coloradans, click here.
Access to affordable and equitable health insurance and care is especially acute in Colorado’s rural mountain communities. In spite of the strong efforts of many statewide and local partners over the past decade, the mountain communities served by Mountain Family Health Centers, including Garfield, Eagle, and Pitkin Counties, maintain some of the highest rates of uninsurance in the state of Colorado. Of the 24,000 patients served by Mountain Family Health Centers in the past 18 months, more than 40% (9,500+ human beings), remain uninsured as of June 2022.
We remain committed to the pursuit of affordable access to health coverage and care for all in our communities. We salute our elected officials, partners, patients, and staff for your courageous efforts to bring equitable care to all Coloradans.
If you are interested in making a gift to Mountain Family’s Health For All Fund to support our essential services providing integrated medical, behavioral, and dental healthcare at four hub sites in Western Colorado and five school-based health centers, please click here.