Health care emerging as major issue in Colorado

Health care emerging as major issue in Colorado

June 26, 2001

By Kevin Denke
Journal Intern

Local residents concerned about the current state of Colorado health care, especially in rural areas, made their voices heard at a forum on Saturday sponsored by the Southwest Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition.

State representatives Kay Alexander and Mark Larson as well as new state Sen. Jim Isgar were on hand to serve as panelists for the forum, which dealt with a variety of issues ranging from high insurance costs to low reimbursement rates for Medicaid.

The Southwest Colorado coalition’s regional coordinator, Rusti Kelsey, and Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition Executive Director Julie Reiskin moderated the two-hour open forum, which drew 40 to 50 people. Reiskin noted some of the issues facing health care, both statewide and in rural areas, including the cost of prescription drugs, whether insurance works, and the government’s level of responsibility to health care.

"Health-care issues concern everyone, not just the disabled," she explained. "We have wonderful programs here, but there are big gaps."

Alexander believes that health care is finally starting to become a major issue and move out from behind the shadows of Columbine gun legislation and education reform.

"The governor has finally gotten the message, there is a health-care crisis in Colorado," she said.

While she said that she was optimistic about the work that is beginning to be done, much more remains.

"I see it more this session as a Band-Aid instead of comprehensive health-care reform but we’re on a roll now."

Isgar, while new to the legislature, said the number of health-care bills that were proposed in this past year’s session are clearly sending a message.

"I was impressed by the number of health-care bills. It has to tell us something, that there are a number of problems and concerns," he said. "It’s a terribly complex, complicated issue."

Isgar questioned why rural health-care providers should get paid less for providing the same services that others provide.

"Dedication can take you so far, but at some point you have to make money," he said.

Fielding a question from forum participant Bob Warren regarding better Medicaid programs for the community and better training for social workers working with Medicaid, Larson responded by saying it made no sense for the state to place artificial caps on funds going to Medicaid and that the major hurdle of the next legislative session will be funding for Medicaid.

Local resident Bob Diederich recounted his own problems with managed health care for the panel. He spoke of his wife’s trouble finding help during her bout with cancer because local caregivers were hesitant to accept patients under Sloans Lake Managed Care, a provider that has developed a troubled reputation.

Larson said he has heard an "awful lot" of bad things about Sloans Lake and Alexander echoed that by saying she wondered why the state would contract with Sloans Lake with its bad reputation.

One topic discussed at length during the forum was nursing-home care — the strict state guidelines that govern it and the question of who belongs in nursing homes.

Dr. Allan Burnside of Dolores, discussing state and federal guidelines for nursing homes, called state inspectors "god-like" and said the standards are too high.

"They have set the bar so high that nursing-home patients can’t have any level of discomfort," he said.

Burnside said inspectors are so rigid in their inspections that even a burned-out light bulb can be grounds for reprimand. He went on to say that the problems have been compounded by younger people being put in nursing homes with brain injuries and not being able to receive the care they need in that environment.

Alexander called for common sense in regards to guidelines for nursing homes and called young people with brain injuries "an arena where we are missing the boat."

Larson told those in attendance they do have a voice in health-care issues and need to work with advocates, such as Reiskin, to make sure their voices are heard.

Kelsey said she would have liked to see more people at the forum but that they are always looking for more people. She was impressed by the variety of issues that were addressed.