Colorado Report

January 31, 2008

Denver, Colorado

The Acupuncture Association of Colorado, represented by president Nancy Billelo and treasurer Jeanette Rockers, promoted the benefits of AOM to the general assembly of the Health and Human Services Committee in Denver. After listening to the final report from the 208 Commission and to questions from legislators about the finer points of the report, the public was invited to comment.

AAC treasurer Jeanette Rockers spoke to the assembly on behalf of more than 1000 licensed acupuncturists in Colorado. Her remarks focused on the efficacy and cost effectiveness of the medicine delivered by Colorado’s licensed acupuncturists and asked the legislators to put Colorado among the states offering this integrated health care advantage to its citizens as part of any reform to the current system. Jeanette cited a current report in Acupuncture Today describing Florida’s successful three-year trial with 2500 Medicaid clients using acupuncture and massage. This trial demonstrated the total healthcare cost savings realized when clients integrated these modalities with their Western medical care.

The chairperson of the Health and Human Services Committee, Representative Anne McGihon, sent this email to her Denver constituents:

“After four years of analysis and finding a path toward health care reform, the 208 Commission today released its report to the joint House and Senate Health and Human Services Committees. The 27 members of the group, also called the Blue Ribbon Commission for Health Care Reform, diverged widely in ideological perspectives, but they were in lock step with each other in both intention and effort. For that, I join my colleagues on the joint HHS Committees in thanking them for their hard work.”

The underpinning of the commission’s recommendation is that the status quo does not work. Nearly one-fifth of the state’s population is uninsured. Health insurance premiums continue to soar to cover the cost of extending care to those who cannot pay. With that basis, the commission aimed to find ways to reduce health care costs while enhancing quality of care.

The report emphasized several points. Among them:

• individual responsibility in health care
• mandated coverage for all legal residents
• an increase in services and eligibility provided by public programs
• subsidized coverage for low-income workers
• a phased implementation of recommendations
• the promotion of choices for consumers
• an insurance market where health plans cover everyone regardless of health status
• a consensus to build on the strengths of the current system and existing programs

To view the full report, visit www.colorado.gov/208commission

Look for several bills to be introduced in the House and Senate as a result of the 208 Commission report. Solving this crisis may not be possible in one legislative session, but this year we are committed to putting Colorado on the road to health care reform.

I hope you will continue the long-needed conversation that has begun, so that we can all improve health care access and services across our state.