04 February 2007

208 Commission draft posted

Colorado's Blue Ribbon Commission for Health Care Reform has posted their "Draft Solicitation for Colorado Health Reform Proposals" (catchy title, eh?).

The public can provide input up until 9 February.

The questions are generally good, as are the criteria. For instance:

• Does this proposal expand access? If so, please explain.
• Does your proposal decrease or contain health care costs? How?
• Does your proposal address consumer choice? If so, how?
• Are new public funds required for your proposal?
• How is your proposal sustainable over the long-term?
• (Optional) How will your proposal impact cost-shifting?
• How will the program be governed and administered?

Sounds like a test, doesn't it? And you don't get paid for completing it, or even get any credit hours — it's rather called public service. Or wonkishness. Or obsession.

And notice that if they were really looking at this objectively, it's hard to imagine how a single-payer proposal wouldn't walk away with the honors. The scoring criteria also favors single-payer: comprehensiveness, access, coverage, affordability, portability, benefits, quality, efficiency, consumer choice, wellness and prevention, financing, and implementation.

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