 DEAR FRIENDS OF THE COLORADO TRUST,
As national health care reform efforts heat up, we hear more reports about how worried many Americans are about their health care coverage. Nationally, a new poll conducted by the University of Michigan found that nearly half of those polled are concerned about paying for future health care services. Nearly one in four people say they fear losing their health care coverage in the next year. About the same number reported that they or a family member delayed seeing a doctor in the past year because of cost, and 86% of those surveyed said they viewed health care reform as an integral part of tackling the nation's economic crisis.
In Colorado, the story is the same. A new report, The Cost of Care: Can Coloradans Afford Health Care, finds that many families can only afford health insurance when their employer pays for a significant portion through group coverage. Many Colorado families have little or no financial means to pay for health care. Indeed, spending more than 5% of their household income on health care means families often make substantial tradeoffs on other important expenditures, such as transportation, housing, education, child care and savings.
We are pleased that health advocates and Trust grantees are proactively sharing this type of critical information with policy leaders. Representatives of the Colorado Center on Law and Policy and Colorado Voices for Coverage traveled to Washington, DC to share information with Congressional leaders. Colorado is one of five states that has conducted in-depth health care affordability studies. As well, members of the Partnership for a Healthy Colorado met with Colorado's Congressional delegation at The Trust to share their views on what is needed to meet the health needs of Coloradans. It is critical that we continue to uncover the health needs of our population, and to share this information with those leading change to help ensure meaningful reform efforts.
Sincerely,
Irene M. Ibarra
President and CEO
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