We are a group of Coloradans who have come to understand that our current national healthcare system is seriously flawed.  We also have realized that our political parties have, so far, been unable to produce a really workable solution at the national level.  We intend to take advantage of provisions in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA, or ObamaCare) that allow states to innovate with state-based solutions to the business of healthcare.

We believe that banding together to provide health care for all through a cooperative is as natural as providing for police protection and fire protection for all citizens. No one is unaffected by threats of crime, fire, accidental injury and illness.

There is considerable research and there are quite a few working examples that lead us to believe that we can devise a plan for the entire state of Colorado which will:

• extend coverage to everyone in the state,
• lower the total cost of healthcare,
• provide better results for the money we spend,
• allow everyone to see the doctors and specialists of their choice,
• allow each person to choose the hospital that they believe is best for them,
• have full coverage in spite of pre-existing conditions,
• and improve the productivity and standard of living of our state.

If this sounds like a cause you can believe in, then we welcome your support and involvement. 

This web site contains plenty of information and links to materials that will help you to understand first, the problem, and second, the course of action we see to produce a solution.

---

Open House was huge success.

The historic queen-Anne-style building, located at 1750 Gilpin Street in Denver, was filled with business owners, political leaders and practicing physicians nurses – along with many advocates from local non-profits who work on health care and poverty-related issues facing the state. Coloradans from across the spectrum shared stories about the inequities they witness in delivering health care to their patients and the inefficiencies in our current health care system. Others told stories about themselves, members of their families or people in their communities who are unemployed or under-employed and often uninsured – without access to basic health care services, leading to expensive (and preventable) emergency room visits.
Local small business owners discussed the need for reduced regulatory and administrative burdens and lower overall costs of providing health insurance to their employees – and the potential for defined contributions to the plan, providing for more predictable costs.
It was standing room only when Colorado State Senator, Dr. Irene Aguilar – recently named Colorado’s ‘Best New Legislator of 2012′ by Westword Magazine – took to the floor to talk about her vision for the cooperative. Sen. Aguilar told the crowd that she will re-introduce a bill in January to establish a state-wide health care cooperative that will reduce the costs of health care across the state while also providing access to services for all Colorado residents.

“I like to think of the cooperative and our approach to reforming health care in Colorado as being ‘socially responsible and fiscally conservative’ – and something this important needs to go to the voters of Colorado” – Sen. Irene Aguilar, MD.

Lyn Gullette, the Executive Director of Co-operate Colorado, urged people to get more information about the Colorado Health Care Cooperative, “…a cooperative business, owned and managed by the residents of Colorado that ensures comprehensive health care for all residents regardless of employment, marital, financial or health status–and costs less money than what we spend now in Colorado; reform we can live with.”