§ 10-16-1102 — Legislative declaration

Colorado § 10-16-1102

• Jurisdiction: Colorado
• Title 10: Insurance
• Art.: Health-care Coverage

Text

(1) The general assembly hereby finds
and declares that:

(a) All Coloradans deserve access to high-quality, affordable health care to
help support their well-being and economic security;

(b) Increasing costs of health care in Colorado have led to premium increases
for health insurance in the individual market that have created a financial burden
for some Coloradans purchasing insurance in the individual market;

(c) That burden is heightened in rural areas of the state, where premiums are
considerably higher than in metropolitan areas of the state and there is a lack of
competition among health-care providers and carriers;

(d) Because of the financial burden high-cost health insurance places on
consumers in rural areas, a considerable number of these cost-burdened
consumers may not purchase health insurance, exacerbating the problems of few
carriers, few plan options, and high health insurance costs in rural regions, as well
as increasing the number of uninsured Coloradans; and

(e) Colorado has historically been a national leader in health-care innovation,
and it is important to use that innovative spirit to address the rising costs of health
care in the state by directing the commissioner of insurance to create a reinsurance
program that will:

(I) Make private health insurance in the individual market more accessible
and affordable;

(II) Encourage participation and competition by carriers throughout the state,
but particularly in rural areas of the state, in order to give consumers the ability to
seek value in health insurance coverage;

(III) Decrease costs of care, leading to lower premiums and restraining, if not
decreasing, the growth in federal spending commitments in the individual market;
and

(IV) Support and empower, and increase access to affordable, high-value
health insurance for, consumers who are ineligible for premium tax credit subsidies
while minimizing any potential negative effects on access to affordable, high-value
insurance for consumers who are eligible for premium tax credit subsidies and cost-sharing reductions.

Source: L. 2019: Entire part added, (HB 19-1168), ch. 204, p. 2176, � 1,
effective May 17.