Prime Sponsors Withdraw Colorado Affordable Health Care Option Act for 2020 Session Due to Coronavirus Pandemic
On May 4, 2020, Colorado state Sen. Kerry Donovan (D) and Reps. Dylan Roberts (D) and Chris Kennedy (D), prime sponsors of the Colorado Affordable Health Care Option Act (summary), announced that they are withdrawing the bill for this session in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
Sen. Donovan and Reps. Roberts and Kennedy note that the demands of the public health crisis make it impossible for hospitals, doctors, insurance carriers, and other stakeholders to robustly engage in the legislative process. They intend to introduce the bill next session.
The Colorado Affordable Health Care Option Act would have required insurance carriers that offer an individual health plan to offer the Colorado Option in the individual market in each county where carriers offer individual plans, beginning January 1, 2022. Hospitals would have been required to participate in the Colorado Option and accept reimbursement rates set by the state, or potentially face fines of up to $50,000 per day.
Prior to the Colorado General Assembly temporarily adjourning on March 14, 2020 the House Committee on Health & Insurance had favorably referred the bill to the House Committee on Appropriations by a party line vote of 7-4 (summary).
The General Assembly is tentatively scheduled to resume the legislative session on May 18, 2020.