Colorado lawmakers seek more data on possible universal health care system in state

Colorado may not have been the first in the country to propose this, but universal health advocates got a kick in the arm in mid-February when two local representatives introduced a bill that would explore the feasibility of such a system, according to a March 9 report. Denver Post report.

The report says about $277,000 will be awarded to researchers at the University of Colorado to fund the effort and gain more data on the plausibility of a system that would eliminate deductibles and co-pays while improving access to healthcare for Colorado residents.

Voters largely rejected a similar move in 2016, which had a single payer program called Colorado Care on the ballot. The move would cost about $36 billion a year and would primarily be funded by a 10 percent payroll tax, according to the report.

The report says legislators in 21 states filed a total of 66 single-payer bills between 2010 and 2019.