( - promoted by Fong)
Amendment 63 - as marketed by reactionaries from the Jon Caldara camp at the Independence Institute is misleading; asserting it promotes choice for Colorado's concerned citizens. Let's really look at what Amendment 63 will do in light of the federal coverage mandate by 2014.
Insurance coverage vs Health Care?
The US adopted a federal insurance based system in 1973, ratcheting the controls of the insurance industry to write, regulate, and request federal funding to support their industry. As such, a private system of health care management organizations - HMO's and PPO's - and insurance coverage products were created. The feds would pay a share to the insurance industry, employers would pay additional funds to the insurance industry, the taxpayer would pay a share to the insurance industry. That's a lot of shares - to the tune of 17% GDP - that kept a lot of shareholders and insurance executives happy for decades. Further, the industry was self-regulating doing what's best for the taxpayers.
Health Care transitions
HCR is transitioning the nation from an insurance industry controlled system to a care based system with options that will range from private insurance to State and federal care based opportunities. Reforms are creating a variety of choices for citizens to choose from, based on an individual's socio-economic situation. In otherwords options to fit within a budget - no freebies outside qualifying benchmarks.
Amendment 63 is misleading |
Amendment 63 convolutes the intentions of HCR. HCR is effectively rolling back insurance industry controls to federal tax dollars - incrementally - and returns those funds to the State through the Department of Health and Human Services. The Act - as written - is essentially State's rights' legislation. Each State has opportunity to secure - and expand - programs for health care, such as Medicare/Medicaid/Chip programs, and create new ones as more federal funding becomes available in this transition for it's citizens. By the time the federal mandate for "coverage" takes affect in 2014, the majority of State's - the smart ones - will have programs in place that will negate the affects of any federal mandate. A Federal mandate becomes moot, if a State has programs available for all citizens to access care and/or coverage.
Colorado is moving forward with real choice
Colorado is effectively working toward it's goals of being a care based system with qualifying programs for those who are currently without insurance or care based opportunities. This could mean a variety of options, such as stand alone private insurance coverage, and public options within an insurance pool, and/or State care single-payer programs. That's a lot of choices. If Amendment 63 passes, Colorado will essentially opt itself out of opportunities to move from an insurance based system, and reduce our choices to insurance coverage only options. Essentially, Amendment 63 protects the insurance industry's stronghold at the State level, keeping choices within the industry, instead of creating care based opportunities. It's a layer of State initiative attacks designed to protect the insurance industry's right to our tax dollars.
Amendment 63 another TABOR
Amendment 63 - and it's proponents can be thanked for TABOR, and we all know what that's done for Colorado taxpayers and our budget. Add Amendment 60, Amendment 61, and Amendment 101 to the ballot, and it's clear what proponents are trying to do to our State. It's a disastrous proposal created by a tunnel-visioned group of reactionaries with Jon Caldara waving his "I hate taxes" pom- poms, and rallying around anything Anti-Obama. There's nothing informational about the Independence Institute's take on HCR - just a group of pedigreed progenies proned to tantrums; claiming they represent taxpayers rights. Save it! For those of us who understand our taxes pay for services, infrastructure, sanitation, education opportunities, quality medicines, and care when we're sick, we're more inclined to watchdog accountability - instead of throwing the baby out with the bath water.
Amendment 63 - another reactionary TABOR style proposal. VOTE NO on Amendment 63.
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