Colorado
July 2025
Update by Lydia Guzman, (Pres) Health Care for All Colorado
State-based SP organizations
Colorado Foundation for Universal Health Care – http://www.couniversalhealth.org/. Bill Semple, Chair
Health Care for All Colorado – https://www.healthcareforallcolorado.org/ Lydia Guzman, President
Health Care for All Foundation, Senator Jeanne Nicholson, President, https://fixhealthcarenowcolorado.org/
Colorado Healthcare Coalition, Guinn Unger, Chair, https://cohccoalition.org
National SP organizations or Natl organizations with strong SP campaigns
HealthCare-NOW, PNHP-Colorado chapter, Democratic Socialists of America, Our Revolution, Indivisible, Young Invincibles-Colorado
State-based SP bills
none currently, but the study bills below are helping to build support.
SB25-045 Healthcare Payment System Analysis, introduced Jan 2025
https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb25-045
Lead sponsors (or n/a)* Senator Janice Marchman, Senator Sonya Jaquez Lewis, Representative Andrew Boesenecker, Representative Karen McCormick “Analyze Statewide Publicly Financed Health Care” (see graphic with endorsements below). Sponsors: Representative Boesenecker, Representative McCormick, and Senator Jaquez Lewis
The Bill passed the Senate House and Human Services Committee and was signed into law. It requires the Colorado School of Public Health to analyze draft model legislation for implementing a single-payer, nonprofit, publicly financed, and privately delivered universal health-care payment system for Colorado that directly compensates providers. The Colorado School of Public Health must submit a report detailing its findings to the Colorado general assembly by December 31, 2026.
The bill also creates the statewide health-care analysis collaborative consisting of 20 members invited by the executive director of the department of health care policy and financing; 4 members of the general assembly appointed by the president of the senate, the minority leader of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the minority leader of the house of representatives; and the commissioner of insurance and the chief executive officer of the Colorado health benefit exchange or any designees of the commissioner and the chief executive officer. The analysis collaborative is created for the purpose of advising the Colorado school of public health during the analysis. (Information taken from https://leg.colorado.gov )
Prior Related legislation (passed)
HB 19-1176
Title: The Health Care Cost Savings Act https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2019A/bills/2019a
Lead sponsors Rep. Emily Sirota, Rep. Sonya Jaquez Lewis, Sen Mike Foote
Status: In addition to the prime sponsors, 45% of the Representatives were co-sponsors; in the Senate, 25% were co sponsors. It passed on a party-line vote (but also had some Republican votes in the Senate).
Obstacles to SP in the current context
There is strong opposition from the insurance companies and Republicans.
This year the Alliance of single payer organizations must raise $750,000 for the analysis to be conducted by the Colorado School of Public Health. Plus, there is a huge budget deficit. .
Advantages for SP in current context
The report from HB1176 has informed the discussions of the important differences among the ACA, vs multipayer UHC vs single payer, showing how many advantages SP has over multipayer systems. Link to the Summary Report/ to the 2021 Full Report (91 pages).
The current study bill, SB25-045, creates a microsimulation model for single payer and for long term care. (This microsimulation model could be used by other states to capture data needed, and then the data can be used to persuade voters and legislators.)
Goals for SP movement in CO 2023-2024
Our goals are to pass SB25-045 and to raise $750,000.00 for the analysis/study to be conducted by the Colorado School of Public Health.
We will also strengthen the coalition of justice organizations named the Alliance.
We will work through the fund raising committee, grassroots committee and the marketing/communications committee to obtain our goals.
We will conduct polling and gather data through marketing and social media.
Where can people find news about Single Payer in your state and/or join a group?
http://www.couniversalhealth.org/