Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra met with local leaders Wednesday at a community health center in Denver about improving health care access and equity.
The group gathered at the Tepeyac Community Health Center to discuss Colorado's progress in improving health care affordability and how the Biden-Harris administration can further support these efforts.
“We are going to do everything we can to reach marginalized communities,” Becerra said.
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Becerra said Latino communities have seen the largest increases in health insurance enrollment over the past three years, with a 52% increase in people enrolled in coverage under the Affordable Care Act nationwide last year. He said the increase rate in the black community was closer to 49%.
“The reason we're breaking records is primarily because Black and brown communities, who have been the least insured, now have access to insurance, and that's not a coincidence. It's not a stroke of luck. It was the result of a lot of hard work,” Becerra said. “That's because we go out and intentionally find people who aren't getting the care they need.”
As the 2024 presidential election approaches, the Biden campaign is trying to maintain strong support from the public. black and latino american That's what voters are thinking, as support for the president has shown to have declined during his tenure. Support from these communities will be essential if Mr. Biden is to win re-election in November.
Becerra said community health centers like Tepeyac need a consistent, permanent flow of funding that is not discussed every year during the Legislature's budgeting process. Certain health centers that serve as safety net providers in high-need communities are eligible for federal funding, which varies from year to year.
Polis said working with the Biden administration will allow Colorado to continue leading the way when it comes to health care policy. He noted that the state's application to the Food and Drug Administration to allow Colorado to import certain low-cost prescription drugs from Canada is pending.The governor also said that Colorado's Prescription Drug Appropriate Price Review Committee And the state said it wants to cap private payer costs for certain prescription drugs.
“We know we’re doing the right thing because; We've already been sued by drug companies“We're looking at every way we can to save people money and reduce costs,” Polis said. It means that.”
Rebecca Gillette, an occupational therapist who serves on the Colorado Health Care Insurance Commission, grew up watching her parents, who immigrated to the United States from the Philippines, struggle to access adequate health insurance. He talked about it at the event. When she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in her 20s, she became even more aware of how difficult it is to have a chronic illness and receive treatment.
“I ended up borrowing money from my Florida home equity to pay for my health insurance for the first year and a half of my time in graduate school,” Gillette said. “For me, access to care is essential, but for people with chronic illnesses and autoimmune diseases, care is very expensive. I have student loans and loans that basically pay for a year and a half of medical bills. I am paying.”
Gillette said he's proud of Colorado's progress, but there's still work to be done. She said navigating the health insurance system is like a part-time job for people with chronic illnesses.
Becerra also joined former Thornton Democratic Rep. Yadira Carabeo, who worked as a pediatrician in Commerce City, on Wednesday afternoon to speak to local health care providers and advocates about prescription drug affordability. We talked further.
