Greeley Rep. Dave Young leads town hall meeting on health care

Feb. 19--Health care costs commanded Greeley Rep. Dave Young's town hall meeting on Saturday, from a potential repeal of the federal Affordable Care Act to a bill that would likewise eliminate Colorado's healthcare exchange.

About 30 people attended the meeting at North Range Behavioral Health Clinic, 1300 N. 17th Ave. Young started the meeting with a presentation by Adam Fox, the director of strategic engagement for Colorado Consumer Health Initiative. Fox focused on Senate Bill 3, which would repeal Colorado's health benefit exchange, Connect for Health Colorado, the state-based health insurance marketplace. By working at the state level, Fox explained, Connect for Health Colorado has been more responsive to the health care needs of Coloradans. Fox said a repeal seems unlikely, but it could have serious implications.

"I think it faces a very uphill battle ... but I think it's important to know that these efforts are happening at the state level and they could have a really big impact on how Coloradans access health insurance," he said.

Fox discussed the Affordable Care Act, through which 500,000 Coloradans get direct coverage. According to a flyer from Colorado Consumer Health Initiative, repealing the Affordable Care Act would cost the U.S. roughly $350 billion through 2027.

House Republicans on Thursday at the nation's capitol released a health policy brief outlining the plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. The brief includes turning Medicaid into a per capita cap program or a block grant program. Block grants allow the federal government to pay a fixed amount per state per year. Per capita caps limit the federal government to pay a fixed amount per beneficiary per state. The federal government pays at least 50 percent of Colorado's total Medicaid costs today.

"Either way, it would really limit our state's ability to respond to the health needs of our population and really blow a giant hole in our state budget," Fox said.

Young said Medicaid is a particularly important issue to him because of the people the program serves, including people with disabilities and seniors. Ten percent of the Medicaid population uses 42 percent of the state's Medicaid budget because of severe health issues.

"Where I get worried is Congress looks at 'how are we going to cut Medicaid?'" Young said. "Then they go, 'Well let's go look at this 42 percent, and let's stop providing services to them because we're going to save a bunch of money.' Is that what we're about as a state?"

Mark Wallace, executive director of the Weld Health Department, said health care works the same way even outside of Medicaid.

"Overall 80 percent of what we spend on health care, whether that's out of our pockets, through insurance or whatever, is because of 20 percent of people who have really significant health care needs," Wallace said.

The big question in health care right now, Young pointed out, is whether health care is a privilege or a right. Greeley resident Johnny Perdue, 78, said he believes it should be a right.

"So that you can keep the cost down. If everybody has health insurance, then you can spread it out," Perdue said. "If you have a large group without health insurance, we're all going to pay for it."

Greeley resident Martin Wonenberg, 73, said he is skeptical of government involvement in health care.

"For 100 years, the government didn't pay for anything, and you and I are still here. I just think they're getting too much into it," he said. "All we've done with that is eliminate responsibility."

Former state Rep. Jim Riesberg said individuals must take on more responsibility, not just for the sake of their own health.

"Seventy-five percent of all the national health care costs are going to pay for chronic disease; 85 percent of all of the Medicaid costs are going to pay for chronic disease; 95 percent of all of the Medicare costs are going to pay for chronic disease," he said.

"Chronic disease is preventable, if people would do three things: don't smoke, eat better and exercise more."

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