To view an Animation about Healthcare Reform.Please click here.
For a CCHI analysis of current federal health care reform priorities, visit our Current Legislation page.
Special report: Commonwealth Fund President Karen Davis on "A New Era in American Health Care."Click here
President Obama Crafts Blueprint for Healthcare Reform
On Monday, February 22, President Obama unveiled his own legislative blueprint for healthcare reform. The plan, which was created to help jump start the stalled healthcare bill, is very similar to the current Senate bill, but also attempts to address some of the issues that concern House leaders.
Confused by Various Federal Health Care Reform Proposals?
This is an exciting time in Washington, as comprehensive health care reform has emerged as a top priority for Congress and the Obama Administration. The following are some tools that may be useful for consumers wanting to stay informed and up-to-date about national healthcare reform progress.
To help consumers track the many different proposals presented by Congress, the Kaiser Family Foundation has created a side-by-side comparison tool including the major reform proposals presented to date.
Listen to CCHI's Former Policy Director Kelly Shanahan discuss the possible formations of health "exchanges," an option included in almost all legislation being proposed before Congress. Courtesy of KUNC 91.5, Northern Colorado.
Tracking Committee Reform Progress
Specific information on the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee bill (The Affordable Health Choices Act) can be found on the committee’s website.
Summary information for the House Tri-Committee bill (America’s Affordable Health Choices Act) can be found at the each of the three House Committee websites:
The Clock is Ticking: More Americans Losing Health Coverage A new report released by Families USA found that each week, another 44,230 Americans lose health coverage. That adds up to a staggering 2.3 million people losing coverage per year-more people than live in the state of Nebraska! (To hear CCHI Executive Director Dede de Percin discuss "The Clock Is Ticking" report, click here.)
CCHI Goes to Washington! As Congress digs in to come up with the answer for today’s health care crisis, they are looking for advice from the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative. CCHI Executive Director Dede de Percin met with key Congressional staff members on June 16th to discuss the findings of the Affordability Study that Colorado Voices for Coverage and the Colorado Center on Law and Policy released in April.
The report, “The Cost of Care: Can Coloradans Afford Health Care” shows that many Colorado families have little or nothing left at the end of each month to pay for health care, and, in many cases, health care costs force families to make financial tradeoffs with other necessary expenses, such as food, housing, or utilities.
Understanding COBRA Premium Assistance
The new American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides premium assistance to help involuntarily unemployed workers purchase their former employer's COBRA or other continuation coverage. Under the Act, for up to nine months, eligible unemployed workers will need to pay only 35 percent of the total premiums to continue the health coverage that they had through their jobs, and the federal government will reimburse employers or health plans for the remaining 65 percent of premium charges.
To learn more about who is eligible for this assistance and for more information, click here to view a consumer guide (courtesy of Families USA).
