By Patrick Malone, The Pueblo Chieftain
DENVER — Gov. John Hickenlooper vetoed a bill Tuesday that would have required low-income families to pay premiums for their children’s health coverage through the state’s Child Health Plan Plus program.
In a letter to the General Assembly explaining why he spiked SB213, Hickenlooper acknowledged that it is reasonable to expect low-income families to contribute to their children’s health care. That expectation was outweighed in the governor’s mind by the possibility that demanding premiums would cause some families to leave their children without health care.
“What is troubling about this legislation, however, is not the policy intent, but the practical and negative impact it will have on children in low-income families,” Hickenlooper said.
Hickenlooper emphasized in his letter that the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing estimated 2,500 children — about 20 percent of all children covered by CHP+ — would have dropped out of the program because of the cost increase.
Under the plan Hickenlooper vetoed, families with four or more children and annual household incomes of between $47,000 and $56,000 would have been required to pay up to $600 a year for CHP+ coverage.
Organizations representing the interests of children lined up to urge the governor to veto SB213. The chief of one of them rejoiced at the news that Hickenlooper had listened.
“These premiums would have made it harder for families who are already struggling economically to access basic health care for their children,” said Chris Watney, president and CEO of The Colorado Children’s Campaign.
Republican leaders who until Tuesday have been generally effusive in their praise of Hickenlooper criticized his decision and said it constitutes reneging on a bipartisan deal by unraveling a step toward accountability in entitlement programs.
In budget negotiations for fiscal year 2011-12 during the recently concluded legislative session, Republicans sought the premium bump as part of a compromise they reached with Democrats on the budget package.
“I am extremely disappointed that Governor Hickenlooper broke from the budget framework that we agreed to by vetoing Senate Bill 213,” said House Speaker Frank McNulty, R-Highlands Ranch. “Republicans and Democrats in both the House and the Senate took an important step on welfare reform and the governor took a step back. That said, welfare reform is now in his court. We must ease the burden on working families and small businesses who are paying for these government programs.”
When SB213 passed through the House, Rep. Tom Massey, R-Poncha Springs, tried unsuccessfully to reduce the proposed premiums. House Democrats also railed against it. Rep. Crisanta Duran, D-Denver, characterized the premium proposal as “immoral.”
Nonetheless, Massey and 17 Democrats joined every House Republican in voting for the overall budget package that included instituting CHP+ premiums.
“This bill was a fair way to ensure that we continue to offer these programs while asking those who participate to do so in a responsible way and make a modest contribution to the system,” said Rep. Jon Becker, R-Fort Morgan, who serves on the Joint Budget Committee. “I look forward to working with the governor to look for opportunities to make government programs more accountable and to continue to introduce more personal responsibility into our critical safety-net programs.”
Hickenlooper said he remains committed to finding a reasonable way for families on state health care to shoulder some of the load without discouraging them from keeping their children insured.
The Department of Health Care Policy and Financing will increase the annual enrollment fee through its rule-making process and conduct a comprehensive analysis of cost-sharing in the program. The department will evaluate changes in the program during the months ahead and deliver recommendations to the JBC no later than Nov. 1.
“The focus will be to implement a change that is minimally disruptive, administratively efficient, effective and elegant, and supports the goal of ensuring that kids have access to coverage,” Hickenlooper said.
Hickenlooper’s veto of HB213 was his first since taking office in January.
