DENVER – In case you missed it, Lauren Masias, director of the Colorado Competitive Council (C3), writes in a recent op-ed in the Colorado Sun that the proposal for a state government-controlled health insurance system is “full of big and risky ideas, but short on critically important details, the measure puts our health care and our economy at risk.” 

Masias argues, “While we still have a long way to go, Colorado’s approach of addressing the true cost drivers of health care through private market innovation and public-private partnerships is the better approach – and it is already working.”

She continues, “Thanks to growth in private-sector initiatives, including investments in telehealth and other technologies, as well as value-based payment arrangements between health care providers and insurers, the industry is operating more efficiently and reducing the cost of care, providing meaningful and sustainable benefits to consumers.”

Masias points to “the state’s reinsurance program, a public-private partnership just recently enacted, is delivering significant savings for Coloradans buying individual health insurance, particularly in rural and underserved communities.” 

She highlights, “Coloradans purchasing health insurance on the individual market saved nearly 21% on premiums and the Western Slope and southwest Colorado premiums were reduced nearly 38%.”

Masias expresses concern with a state government option, stating, the proposal “simply shifts costs from one group of Coloradans to another, specifically those getting insurance through the state plan to those getting insurance through their employer sponsored, private coverage.”

Masias adds, “The problem is that most Coloradans – 52.7%, according to the Colorado Health Institute – get their health care through their employer. So state lawmakers would be burdening the majority of their constituents in hopes of benefiting a small minority of them…And to what end? According to a recent report, the state government option would hardly make a dent in our uninsured population, reducing it by a measly 0.3%.”

As Colorado looks to recover from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 crisis, “Businesses are under unprecedented pressure to keep their companies viable, protect their employees and safely serve their customers. The economic recovery will take years to be fully realized.”

She warns a “public option” could “expose businesses and our employees to increased health insurance premiums through cost-shifting and/or bail-out costs, if the Colorado Option is ultimately not successful.” 

Masias concludes, “There are better ways to improve our health care system, and they can be found by fostering a truly transparent, collaborative process that engages all parties early and often. We would all be much better off by working together to build on and improve our current system than trying to implement one that is controlled by politicians in Denver.”

• To read Lauren Masias’ full opinion piece in the Colorado Sun, CLICK HERE.