Where is our money going, and where are our health care savings and improvements?
Some Boulder seniors are concerned that we are spending on better health care, but it is not making us healthier. Colorado Lieutenant Governor and a four-time cancer survivor, Dianne Primavera, outlines her opinion on the state of our health care system in the Denver Post.
Referencing a report released by the Polis administration on hospital finances, Primavera shows where our money is going. The report shows Colorado legislature made progress towards managing health care costs, but it also shows we have to do more by lowering prescription drug prices. The report finds that Hospital prices grew by 71.3% while at the same time, hospital profit margins in Colorado increased by more than 280%. "Today, Colorado hospitals enjoy the 2nd highest profit margins in the entire nation." according to Primavera. And Nonprofit hospitals made over $2 billion in profits in 2018.
Primavera points out how Americans pay more for health care than less-developed nations, but we get average results and lower life expectancy than other countries. Approximately one in five people in Colorado "forego needed care because of the cost," and that one in three people can't afford their prescription drugs.
Primavera urges policymakers "to ensure that health care savings will actually make their way into the pockets of hardworking Coloradans" The Lieutenant Governor believes Colorado's health care problems are caused by "the middle man." She thinks the problem is "being driven largely by the Front Range mega-hospital systems and a few mountain resort hospitals." and she "contrast, our rural hospitals — including our critical access hospitals," because they still require assistance to serve their communities" She goes on to say that "our independent hospitals — like Denver Health, Boulder Community Hospital, Parkview, National Jewish and Community Hospital in Grand Junction — are pillars of their communities, and we need to help protect these hospitals from predatory mega-system acquisitions, which most often result in higher prices."
To read more of Primavera's opinions, visit:
https://www.denverpost.com/2020/02/15/primavera-we-were-naive-to-trust-the-health-care-industry-its-a-mistake-lawmakers-shouldnt-make-again/
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