Affordable Healthcare

Access to affordable, high-quality health care is critical so hardworking folks can live a good, long, and healthy life. As health care costs continue to rise, greedy insurance companies, hospital systems, and pharmaceutical companies are enjoying record profits while Coloradans struggle to afford and access health care and the prescription drugs they rely on.

Two-thirds of Coloradans aren’t confident they can pay for their usual healthcare services and 45% of Coloradans skipped health care like going to the doctor or filling a prescription because of cost concerns. When everyone can protect and care for the health of themselves and their families, we all benefit. It’s time for our lawmakers to take action and ensure that all Coloradans are able to access quality, affordable health care.

"I have rheumatoid arthritis, which makes it challenging for me to walk. It's an autoimmune disease. The medication I take so that I can function on a daily basis costs over $5,000 a month, which is well beyond what I make in a month. My husband works to keep us in health insurance, and I work to keep us afloat. It's an unfair system and no medications should cost that amount of money. It historically hasn't been that expensive; it has gone up drastically about $1,000 per year the last few years. I'd like to see our legislature do something to change that and make it affordable for people so that we can live."

– Laurie

"I am self-employed and I am forty something years old but there is just no way on this planet that I can afford an extra $800 a month for halfway-decent coverage. It's ridiculous for somebody that is healthy like me."

– Carrie

"The cost of healthcare is always on my mind anytime something happens with my family. I'm fortunate enough to have insurance through my work, but I know that if I were to lose my job that healthcare would be far from affordable for me."

Anonymous

"I am currently once again without health insurance, which has forced me to reduce how often I take my prescription medicines because they're too expensive for me to purchase at full cost without coverage. I appreciate any effort our lawmakers in Colorado can take to make basic healthcare a regular affordable expense for everyone."

– Anonymous

Solutions to help lower health care costs

CSP members have successfully helped pass critical bills to ensure that all Coloradans are able to access quality, affordable health care including:

  • The reinsurance program which has led to savings on the individual market of $1,400 already this year and $2,500 on the Western Slope.
  • The Colorado Option which will help control costs, improve access, and hold the health care industry accountable to provide more affordable health insurance options.
  • The newly created Prescription Drug Affordability Board which could save Coloradans as much as 75% on the most unaffordable drugs.
  • Policies to ensure Coloradans can get the health care recommended to them by their doctors.

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