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Senate approves study of universal healthcare payment models after amendment to limit state spending
Summary
The Senate passed SB45 on Feb. 19 to commission a Colorado‑specific analysis of multiple statewide health‑care payment models, with funding to come from gifts, grants, and donations and an amendment to avoid a direct general‑fund appropriation for database access.
The Colorado Senate on Feb. 19 approved SB45, a bill directing the Colorado School of Public Health to analyze multiple statewide health‑care payment models, including public and private financing options, and to submit a report to the General Assembly. Sponsors described the bill as authorizing a study — not creating a new delivery system.
Senator Marchman, the bill sponsor, emphasized that SB45 is a research and analysis bill: “This is a study, not a policy change,” she told colleagues, noting the analysis will compare multiple financing models and rely on Colorado‑specific data. The study is to engage stakeholders and estimate costs and impacts across several time horizons.
Debate on the floor highlighted fiscal concerns and history. Several senators pointed to prior studies and ballot defeats of single‑payer measures, questioned whether the state can afford possible policy outcomes, and urged caution about the scope of analysis. Senator Frizzell raised concerns about where gifts, grants and donations to fund the study would originate and whether the Colorado School of Public Health or other institutions would be the source.
On the floor the Senate adopted amendment L3 to ensure database access (for an all‑payer claims database) would be funded through external gifts, grants or donations rather than a direct general‑fund appropriation; sponsors said the amendment prevents state taxpayer exposure for that element. Sponsor Marchman also said report funds would be transparent and that the analysis would include multiple models rather than focus solely on single‑payer proposals.
Opponents argued that the state has existing studies and pressing Medicaid budget challenges, and several senators said the study’s scope and the lack of a defined draft model to be analyzed were shortcomings. Proponents said updated, Colorado‑specific data were necessary to inform any future policy choices.
The Senate adopted the study language and the L3 amendment and passed SB45. The bill creates a 20‑member statewide Healthcare Analysis Collaborative to advise the school on the analysis and sets a reporting deadline for the school to submit findings to the General Assembly.
