Senate Advances Ginal-Moreno Bill to Make Primary Care More Affordable

April 27, 2019

Denver, CO – The Colorado State Senate today voted 21-to-13 with 1 excused to pass HB19-1233, Investments in Primary Care to Reduce Health Costs, sponsored by Senators Joann Ginal (D-Fort Collins) and Dominick Moreno (D-Commerce City). This legislation would invest in making primary care more affordable for Coloradans and now moves back to the House of Representatives for consideration of amendments.

“Primary care is on the front lines of healthcare delivery, but is underutilized and under resourced to meet the needs of patients. Too many families in Colorado are struggling with high costs of living in Colorado, and rising primary care costs are not making it any easier,” said Senator Ginal. “Bringing down primary healthcare costs will make an incredible difference for people in my district and across our state.”

“This is just one of many ways in which we are working this session to make healthcare more affordable for Colorado families,” said Senator Moreno. “Sacrificing quality primary care because premiums are too expensive is a dangerous move when it comes to Coloradans’ health and to our economy in the long run.”

HB19-1233 would create a primary care payment reform collaborate and require the insurance commissioner to establish affordability standards for premiums. It would also require the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, as well as carriers who offer plans to state employees, to set specific investment targets for primary care.

For more information on this legislation, please visit https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb19-1233.

###