Category: Public Health Issues - Part 8

Obesity a disease, cure elusive

By Katie Kerwin McCrimmon To call it a disease or not? That is the question. Since leaders of the American Medical Association last week trumped advice from their own committee of experts and declared obesity a disease, speculation has been rife. Will this be a game-changing decision? Or has the tree fallen in the forest and no one cares? Will insurers now pay for obesity care and prevention? Will people carting around extra pounds be convinced to take meds just like those with high blood pressure? Will doctors start talking about obesity with those of us who are elephants in…

Law requiring physical activity in schools a bust

By Kevin Vaughan I-News Network A 2011 state law requiring 30 minutes of physical activity a day for elementary students was supposed to provide a new tool in the fight against childhood obesity but in reality it did little more than reinforce the status quo, an I-News examination found. The measure was so gutted during the legislative process that it has meant virtually no meaningful changes in the way elementary schools are operated. The standard imposed by the law, which allows recess to count as physical activity time, was already being met by districts across the state. Two years later,…

Opinion: Protecting Colorado health data while making costs transparent

By Tracey Campbell The news is riddled with stories of frustrations over the cost of health care and the lack of transparent information available to patients and employer purchasers. Look at the responses to the recent Time magazine article about bloated hospital costs, and the release of Medicare information about the wide variations in hospital pricing. Consumers are aghast at high and wildly varying prices, especially in light of little information about quality. The Colorado All-Payer Claims Database (APCD) is an essential tool for identifying differences in price and quality, and enabling consumers to shop for health care services in…

Poll finds Americans want schools to combat obesity

Americans want schools to lead the way on fighting child obesity and helping children eat healthier foods, according to a new study from Kaiser Permanente. Among those surveyed, African Americans and Latinos were especially supportive of having community groups help reduce obesity. The survey found: Respondents believe their local K-12 schools have the biggest role of any sector in fighting obesity, with 90 percent endorsing a role for schools on this issue. 78 percent of parents think that healthier food in schools will increase academic performance and a similar percentage say regular physical activity during the school day will also…

Health guides at 55 sites receive $17 million for outreach

By Katie Kerwin McCrimmon Fifty-five community groups and hospitals throughout Colorado have received $17 million in grants from Colorados health exchange to assist people in signing up for health insurance. Altogether 74 applicants had asked for more than $57 million, so the grant committee had to dramatically cut requested funds and some of the proposed assistance sites have backed out. Some of them are seriously weighing what they can do. We have had a couple of groups that have pulled out. We do have a few groups that are very much on the fence, said Adela Flores-Brennan, assistance network manager….

Opinion: Access to health care major issue for LGBT Coloradans

By Sarah Mapes Recently, the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Coloradans have been a major political issue nationally as well as locally. This legislative session, the passage of Senate Bill 13-011legalized civil unions for same-sex couples in Colorado after many prior attempts. In addition, the Division of Insurance made changes to current regulations to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. As we celebrate LGBT Pride Month in June, there are many more new opportunities for Colorados LGBT community than in years past. However, there is still much work to be done to ensure that LGBT Coloradans have…

Exchange must offer voter registration, activists say

By Katie Kerwin McCrimmon Voting rights activists say Colorados health exchange must serve as a mandatory voter registration agency, butexchange managers contend they do not need to comply with the law popularly known as the Motor Voter Act. For now, activists with Colorado Common Causeare trying to encourage exchange managers to comply with the law. But if negotiations fail, they may sue the exchange. Why, you might ask, is there any link between voter registration and an online marketplace to help people shop for health insurance? The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 requires agencies, such as drivers license bureaus…

Feds require contingency plans for health exchange

By Katie Kerwin McCrimmon Federal health officials have required Colorado to create contingency plans in case the states health exchange cant function as planned by the beginning of October. Documents that Solutions obtained show that Colorado health exchange managers are preparing for three primary problems that could undermine the planned Oct. 1 launch: A federal data hub that does not work and therefore cannot verify income, immigration status or whether people applying for health plans are living behind bars. A recent report from the Government Accounting Office has found that potential problems with the hub could hamper state exchanges. The…

Rates vary widely, should promote brisk insurance market

By Katie Kerwin McCrimmon Competition among health insurance companies should be brisk in Colorado, according to an analysis by a consumer health advocacy group. As weve dug more deeply, weve seen enough competition that we think Colorados going to have a really good marketplace, said Dede de Percin, executive director of the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative (CCHI). Despite doomsday predictions, the state is not seeing rate shock, so many of the choices will be more affordable, especially with the subsidies. Regulators from Colorados Division of Insurance (DOI) are reviewing all proposed plans and must approve or deny them by July…

Rates “decent” for Colorado health exchange

By Katie Kerwin McCrimmon Rate shock. What rate shock? That seems to be the initial reaction both in Colorado and in states like California as rates for new plans proposed under Obamacare begin to emerge. Here in Colorado, while regular folks enjoyed Memorial Day, health policy geeks and insurance actuaries were mining a state website trying to find out how hundreds of proposed rates in Colorado look. The news about Colorado rates has been very slow to emerge because Colorados Division of Insurance (DOI) had a computer snafu that prevented industry insiders and members of the public from easily analyzing…