Colorado's standardized health-insurance plan, known as the Colorado Option, is changing how consumers interact with insurance, according to a new report tracking the plan's development since 2013. Today, an increasing number of Coloradans are choosing the plan, largely because of its value.

Erica Pike, director of policy and government relations for the Colorado Academy of Family Physicians, explained many insurance plans offered after the Affordable Care Act was rolled out in Colorado did not cover comprehensive preventive services, which frustrated doctors.

"And so, looking for a way to incentivize and design a plan that centered primary care was something that we were really hopeful for," she said.

After lawmakers passed House Bill 1232 in 2021, the Colorado Option was developed with extensive input from consumers, insurers, health providers, rural communities and other stakeholders. In addition to offering preventive care, other primary goals for the new plan were to make insurance easier to understand and more affordable, and to improve health outcomes for historically disadvantaged communities.

Jen is a consumer with diabetes who was cited in the report compiled by the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative. She said choosing a Colorado Option plan made the most sense, in part because Continuous Glucose Monitoring coverage was available with a zero-dollar co-pay in the schedule of required benefits.

"It covered the most prescriptions, and did not require step therapy for Ozempic. And it indicated that I would probably, with prior authorization, be able to stay on the insulins I was on," she said.

This year, more than 93,000 Coloradans enrolled in Colorado Option plans, more than doubling last year's enrollment and representing more than a third of all enrollments through Connect for Health Colorado. More insurers are also offering plans, providing much-needed competition in 12 counties.

The Colorado Division of Insurance is scheduled to hold public hearings on the plans later this year if insurers do not meet premium reduction targets, and will evaluate the plan's progress in both affordability and health equity in 2026.


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Colorado hospitals got failing grades for compliance with the Colorado Hospital Discounted Care law, according to a new report.

The law passed in 2021, and requires hospitals to tell patients about their rights and access to discounts.

Sophia Hennessy is policy and research coordinator with the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative.

She said people across the state still report the cost of health care is too high, and without access to discounted care, many are skipping doctor's appointments.

"Fear of that hospital bill, and if care is so expensive that it will put you in medical debt," said Hennessy. "Or make it harder to have housing, or food. And that's never a decision that we want anyone in Colorado to have to make."

Researchers audited all of the state's 89 hospitals.

While 58% of hospitals technically met the law's basic requirements, the report shows many just went through the motions - hiding information about discounts in remote parts of their website, or not posting it at all.

Just 20% of patients were able to solve their problem by phone, but that number dropped to under 5% for Spanish-speaking callers.

You can find a fact sheet about your rights at cohealth.co/hospitaldiscounts.

Hospitals must post a conspicuous link to discounted care information on their main website, along with a uniform application for assistance. They also need to list patient rights in both English and Spanish.

Hennessy said the new law also limits how hospitals take action against patients.

"Hospitals can't send your account into collections until 180 days after your date of service," said Hennessy. "So there's way more time for you to figure out how you want to pay those bills, or if you can't pay those bills. And they also have to notify you that they are sending you to collection."

The report finds access to discounted care is twice as hard to get at large health system-owned hospitals than at independent facilities.

Proponents of hospital consolidation have argued mergers will improve the quality of care and access, but Hennessy said she isn't buying it.

"This report showed that that's not true," said Hennessy, "that it was actually harder to get a financial assistance representative on the phone at health system-owned hospitals, and harder to get the information that you needed from them."

A recent study from Florida Atlantic University highlights a concerning rise in alcohol-related deaths across the United States, with mortality rates nearly doubling between 1999 and 2020.

The findings point to significant public health challenges, particularly among younger age groups and in the South.

Dr. Charles H. Hennekens, professor of medicine and preventive medicine at Florida Atlantic University and the study's co-author, analyzed data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's "WONDER" database.

"There was a doubling of the mortality from alcohol-related deaths that we saw at all ages," Hennekens reported. "The most alarming spike, nearly fourfold, was in those 25 to 34 years of age."

The number of alcohol-related deaths skyrocketed from just over 19,000 to nearly 49,000. Experts said the findings should be a wake-up call for Florida, where nightlife and tourism are key drivers of the economy. Hennekens urged health care providers to step up screening for alcohol use and educate patients about the dangers.

Hennekens stresses rising rates of obesity and diabetes exacerbate the problem, highlighting one immediate effect of excessive alcohol consumption is liver damage, which can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer.

"This also contributes to early liver damage," Hennekens pointed out. "These two deleterious effects may be additive or perhaps even synergistic and may contribute to greater and earlier onset of alcohol-related mortality."

While moderate alcohol consumption, defined as up to one drink per day for women and two for men, may have some benefits, Hennekens cautioned against misconceptions. He explained it doesn't matter whether it is a glass of wine, a shot of liquor or one bee, it is about the quantity, not the type. People who drink moderate to large amounts have the highest risk of premature mortality and morbidity.


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The number of Medicare enrollees is projected to rise over the next few years as the baby boomer population ages. More than 2 million Illinoisans are currently enrolled in the federal health care program, according to Healthinsurance.org,

The Office-Based Facility Association, a coalition of practitioners, is calling for a change in what they view as an ineffective and unfair pricing structure of the Medicare Physician Fee schedule.

Jason McKitrick, executive director of the association, said other payers linking themselves to Medicare is one of the issues.

"When you've got ongoing cuts to Medicare, that means you've likely got ancillary cuts going on with the private side, with the Medicaid side, etc.," McKitrick explained. "It's the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, CMS, ultimately, that's the agency and the federal government that sets the rates for the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule."

The association pointed out the current fee schedule addresses doctor's fees only, not the costly and necessary supplies and equipment needed for their practices. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services data, there are 300 office-based services under the fee schedule for which Medicare reimbursement is less than the direct costs, before even considering other costs like overhead and physician work.

Dr. Sreenivas Reddy, a vascular interventional radiologist in Hinsdale, said in addition to seeing patients, he has to monitor overhead expenses such as office space and employee salaries, both affected by inflation. Not having the proper medical equipment and supplies, he added, limits his ability to perform specialized procedures and forces patients to seek care elsewhere.

"That makes these patients go to the hospital-based facilities," Reddy noted. "We have to close our offices and try to join these hospital-based models. They would love to come to the office, get the procedure done in one or two hours, versus it takes like a whole day in the hospital setting."

Reddy emphasized physicians' reimbursement, based on the current physician pay schedule, has been on the downtrend for the last five years. The group has further concerns about a decrease in the number of private practices causing more medical deserts for interventional radiology, cardiology, vascular surgery, radiation and oncology care.