Federal Issues and Legislation

Contact Senators Udall and Bennet today and ask for market-based reforms

On Saturday, November 21, the US Senate voted to open debate on health care reform.   This gives the Senate the freedom to now vote on the issue, which may happen before the end of the year.   Debate on amendments to health care legislation is currently taking place.

Although Americans have the best medical care in the world, a variety of factors continue to drive up the costs of medical care and health care coverage. This makes access to care more difficult with each passing year. Clearly, the situation is not sustainable, and reform is necessary. The Northern Colorado Legislative Alliance supports patient-centered reforms that will allow all Americans to have access to a market‑based health care system that provides quality, affordable care.

The NCLA strongly supports health care reform to get costs under control but opposes the inclusion of any government-run plan no matter how it is structured.  It is unnecessary for reform and, inevitably, it will use its built-in advantages and exemptions from many private plan requirements to evolve into a single payer system over time.

Please contact Colorado’s Senators, Senators Mark Udall and Michael Bennet, and ask them to oppose a government-run health plan if it’s included in health care reform legislation and instead support reform to the current system with an emphasis on creating a consumer-driven system that provides access to the country’s chronically uninsured.

• There are approximately 10 million Americans who are chronically uninsured. They do not have access to Medicaid, SCHIP or other private coverage. Reform related to access should focus on solutions to provide coverage for them.
• To avoid widespread disruption, policymakers must begin all reform discussions with the reality that 177 million Americans get their health care coverage through their place of work. Extreme care should be used when considering changes to that arrangement.
• Reform should be based on an employee/consumer-driven health care system that empowers employees/consumers to make health care decisions on their own behalf. This would be an improvement to the current employer-driven health care system.
• A government-run, single payer health care system is not the solution to health reform.   Private enterprise is motivated to provide the best quality at the best price, which is ensured by true competition. Such a system allows individuals to make individual choices that they deem to be in the best interests of themselves and their families.
• Reforms that result in an increase in the employer-paid cost of providing health care coverage are unacceptable.   Large and small businesses alike are already struggling to provide health insurance to employees.   Further requirements placed on business will lead to job losses and possible business closures.
• Health care reform should not include government mandates for employer-paid health care coverage or other requirements which place an undue burden on business.

  Contact information for both senators:

  Senator Mark Udall

  E-mail

  Phone: 202-224-5941

  Fax: 202-224-6471

  Hart Office Building
  Suite SH-317
  Washington, DC 20510

   

  Senator Michael Bennet

  E-mail

  Phone: 202-224-5852

  Fax: 202-224-5035

  702 Hart Senate Office Building

  Washington, DC 20510