Pueblo Community=20
College-Fremont Campus and Southeastern Colorado =
Area=20
Health Education Center teamed up Wednesday at =
the=20
campus for a health-care discussion.=20
Members of the Penrose Chamber, health-care=20
professionals, nursing students, community =
members and=20
representative from the health department =
participated=20
in the interactive group discussion.=20
Iris Clark, executive director for SECAHEC, =
presented=20
information on the new health-care legislation, =
provided=20
information on state workforce data and offered=20
electronic polling devices to capture audience=20
responses.=20
When asked how they felt about the =
health-care=20
legislation, 83 percent of the attendees said =
they need=20
more information to understand it.=20
While 60 percent of the people in the group =
said they=20
had health insurance, most of those said they =
are not=20
happy with their health care.=20
=93The new health-care legislation that was =
passed in=20
March will enable 32 million additional people =
across=20
the country to have health insurance,=94 Clark =
said. =93That=20
will still leave, though, 24 million remaining =
without=20
insurance.=94=20
She said this will happen by individual =
mandate,=20
state-based insurance exchanges, expanded =
Medicaid and=20
Medicare programs, expanded employer coverage =
and=20
credits for low income residents.=20
She said the Children=92s Health Insurance =
Program will=20
be expanded, drug costs will be reduced and some =
changes=20
will be made to private health insurance.=20
=93The first phase of these will come within =
six=20
months,=94 Clark said. =93The one big one is for =
children=20
and the fact that insurance companies will no =
longer be=20
able to deny coverage for children with =
pre-existing=20
conditions.=94=20
Children who are still dependant will be =
covered up=20
to the age of 26, she said, and there will be no =
lifetime dollar limits and no rescissions of =
coverage.=20
Clark said beginning in 2014, there will be =
other=20
changes.=20
=93This is where the no denial on adults=92 =
pre-existing=20
conditions will kick in,=94 she said. =93There =
will be no=20
annual limits on coverage and new policies need =
to=20
comply with the federal regulations.=94=20
Clark explained that eligible small =
businesses will=20
receive a 50 percent tax credit for insurance.=20
=93This is expected to impact about 68,000 =
businesses=20
in Colorado,=94 she said.=20
Nonprofit organizations will receive a 35 =
percent tax=20
exempt credit.=20
She said each state has the role of setting =
up=20
exchanges for individuals and for businesses.=20
=93The individuals=92 is the American Health =
Benefit=20
Exchange, and the business is the Small Business =
Health=20
Options Program,=94 she said. =93In addition, =
there will be=20
subsidies for those who are between 133 percent =
of=20
Federal Poverty Level and 400 percent of Federal =
Poverty=20
Level, provided they don=92t have access to =
other types of=20
insurance.=94=20
Co-ops also will be developed =97 nonprofit=20
organizations run by members =97 and Colorado =
has the=20
option of create a Basic Health Plan for =
individuals=20
between 133 percent and 200 percent of the FPL =
in lieu=20
of the exchange. She also discussed Multi-Share =
Programs=20
and Community Health Insurance options.=20
About 200,000 people in Colorado will receive =
benefits that have not in the past, and that =
will be=20
phased in during a period of time between now =
and 2014,=20
she said.=20
There are about 363,000 working adults who do =
not=20
have insurance, she said.=20
=93Those who are over 133 percent of the =
Federal=20
Poverty Level will be mandated to provide =
insurance for=20
themselves,=94 she said. =93This is based on a =
2008=20
estimate.=94=20
Clark said the goal of the legislation is to =
increase=20
the number of providers, which will be an =
ongoing=20
process, she said.=20
SECAHEC, headquartered in Pueblo, is =
affiliated with=20
the UC Denver Anschutz Medical Campus and =
provides=20
health related education to residents and =
medical=20
professionals in 16 counties.
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