Health care costs in Colorado are crushing families and consuming our state budget. In the last decade, total health care spending in Colorado has more than doubled, and out-of-pocket costs for patients have climbed almost 50%. Even families with insurance face unaffordable bills, narrow networks, and coverage that falls short when they need it most. Many Coloradans are opting out of insurance altogether. Rural hospitals are barely hanging on. And, too many families are one illness or accident away from financial disaster. Projected annual medicaid cost increases of 9% and the Trump administration’s catastrophic “Big Beautiful Bill” will only make matters worse for Colorado families.
Colorado is home to one of the healthiest populations in the country, and Michael believes we have an opportunity to define a new and bold approach. Colorado should use this moment to work together to build a new, stronger system– one that puts families and communities at the heart of our health care system, cares for the whole person through an integrated approach to mental and physical health, empowers patients to actively shape their health outcomes, and actually works for the people who depend on it.
At the core of Michael’s approach is his longstanding commitment to universal health care. He believes that health care is a human right and that access to care should not depend on income, geography, or circumstance.
Changes this far reaching will require intense collaboration across our state. Michael will bring leaders from every corner of the state to work towards four core priorities:
- Protect and strengthen Colorado’s safety net, including Medicaid, and launching a Colorado Public Option;
- Lower health care costs, by expanding access to the state health insurance plan, realigning incentives, and focusing on prevention to reduce chronic disease;
- Give Coloradans real transparency and the state more power to negotiate for lower costs, and
- Expand access to whole-person care across Colorado.
- Protect and Strengthen Medicaid and Colorado’s Safety Net. The Trump Administration’s recent steps to gut Medicaid, cut hospital matching funds, and eliminate health insurance subsidies have put Colorado’s already fragile health care safety net at serious risk. Michael will take decisive action to protect and ensure the long-term sustainability of Colorado’s health care safety net by:
- Protecting and Strengthening Medicaid: Michael will work to strengthen Colorado’s Medicaid system by aligning incentives towards the delivery of the highest quality care to patients at the lowest possible cost. He will work to change payments so that providers are rewarded for the overall value and quality of care they deliver, rather than the number of procedures they perform. He will also collaborate closely with health care leaders and local communities to improve state government efficiency, cut out unnecessary bureaucracy, and eliminate waste and fraud. He will work in partnership with leaders across the state to bring Colorado’s eligibility and enrollment system into the 21st century, minimizing the number of people who unnecessarily lose coverage because of bureaucratic obstacles and making it faster, more efficient, and easier for Coloradans to access the care they need.
- Launching a Colorado Public Option: Michael will work with state health care leaders, advocates, and federal partners to design and launch a new Colorado Public Option for Coloradans who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but still struggle to afford coverage on the individual marketplace. By offering comprehensive benefits, predictable premiums, and lower out-of-pocket costs, the new Basic Health Program will serve as a bridge between Medicaid and marketplace coverage—reducing coverage churn, improving continuity of care, and helping more Coloradans (including young people coming off their parents’ insurance) access preventive services before health needs become emergencies.
- Making Sure Taxpayer Dollars Go to Patients and Health Care Workers, Not Investor Profit: A large and growing share of Colorado’s Medicaid dollars support our aging population and Coloradans with the most complex needs, including those receiving home and community-based services. Michael will prioritize ensuring limited state resources are spent directly on Coloradans who need care and the caregivers who support them. He will direct a thorough investigation into the role private equity firms may be playing in driving up health care costs—particularly in long term supports and services settings—and into how much taxpayer funding is being diverted to investor profits rather than patient care.
- Supporting Rural Providers and the Rural Health Care Workforce: For the past two decades, Michael has been a strong partner and tireless advocate for Colorado’s rural providers. Today, many rural hospitals across Colorado are operating in the red, with some at risk of closure. Families in rural communities face the loss of access to essential health care, while local economies risk losing critical employers and economic anchors. Michael will continue to stand with Colorado’s rural hospitals by making current government programs and investment work better for rural communities and partnering with them to sustain services for the long term, transition to more sustainable financial models, invest in needed capital improvements, and secure adequate reimbursement for services.
- Standing Up for Public Health: As we saw during the COVID-19 pandemic, Colorado’s public health system plays a vital role in providing access to critical health care services to the entire population, including vaccines, screenings for preventable diseases, and substance abuse support. Michael will protect Colorado’s public health by working with other states to provide Coloradans accurate information, defending science-based vaccine guidance, and rebuilding the health care workforce
- Lower health care costs, including by expanding access to the state health insurance plan and focusing on preventive care. Colorado’s health care system is fragmented, oriented toward the short-term, and burdened by bureaucracy that drives up costs without improving outcomes. It also fails to give Coloradans access to the services they need to stay healthy and prevent chronic conditions. Michael will work in partnership with health care leaders to build a better model in Colorado through:
- Launching a State Health Plan Option: Currently, state employees serve as one of the largest employee groups in the state, and benefit from high-quality health coverage. At the same time, school districts and counties are left to negotiate for health care on their own–leaving them more vulnerable to higher costs. As a first step, Michael will allow school districts and county governments to participate in the health plan offered to state employees. Michael will also launch a pilot program to give Coloradans ages 25-35, small businesses (including small family farms) the opportunity to buy into state health coverage.
- Advancing a Patient First Initiative: Colorado’s health care system is too often managed one year at a time, limiting innovation, discouraging long-term investment, and locking in short-term thinking that makes health care more expensive without making anyone healthier. The system also operates in silos, missing opportunities to coordinate care and deliver better results for patients. Michael will push for a multi-year, strategic approach to health care reform—one that rewards lasting results rather than temporary fixes. He will start a Patient First Initiative, long-term partnerships with health care providers, insurers, and communities that break down silos, focus on preventive care, integrate technology, and deliver measurable improvements in quality, access, and affordability to patients.
- Starting Colorado HealthCheck: Michael will work with health care providers, communities, and technology partners to launch Colorado HealthCheck. While prioritizing the protection of patient privacy and data, this public-private partnership will provide Coloradans access to user-friendly technology to access basic healthcare, schedule preventive visits with local health care providers, receive personalized guidance to manage chronic conditions, and guide access to specialist referrals when required. The program will use telemedicine as a “front-door” to access, helping to amplify the reach of local providers, emphasize early intervention and prevention, and empower Coloradans to own their own health and address health concerns before they become emergencies.
- Deploying Data and Technology to Improve Care Delivery: Working together with health care providers, Michael will implement technology that improves the flow of healthcare data to inform patient care, improve care delivery, lower costs, and ultimately improve patient outcomes. While emphasizing patient privacy, the state will invest in a cohesive data and reporting infrastructure that enables healthcare providers to learn from past performance and be responsive to changing needs, so that we spend more resources on quality care that delivers results.
- Give Coloradans real transparency and the state more power to negotiate for better prices. Health care pricing in Colorado is opaque and increasingly disconnected from the actual cost of care. Michael will work to put the power to negotiate for better prices back in the hands of Coloradans through increasing transparency and empowering the state, including:
- Identifying the Biggest Drivers of Health Care Costs: Every Coloradan has a story about a price tag for medical services that seems way out of line with the care delivered. Even Coloradans with insurance struggle with irrationally high medical bills for simple procedures. Michael believes Coloradans need a shared, transparent understanding of why health care costs what it costs. In his first 100 days in office, he will complete and publish a comprehensive evaluation of health care cost drivers in Colorado.
- Passing a “If You Pay, It Counts” Law: If you pay a doctor or other health care provider yourself for a covered, medically necessary service, your health insurance should count that payment toward your deductible and out-of-pocket maximum. Michael will push for a state law requiring health insurance to count any amount patients pay directly to a health care provider toward their deductible and annual out-of-pocket maximum for a covered, medically necessary service, as long as the amount they pay is less than the average in-network rate for that service.
- Empowering Colorado to Fight for Low Cost Prescription Drugs: Coloradans across the state are struggling to afford prescription drugs. Michael will fight to lower costs by ensuring the state partners only with pharmacy plan administrators that pass 100 percent of negotiated savings directly to Colorado consumers, and he will prioritize transparency so Coloradans can clearly see where to purchase their prescriptions at the lowest price. Michael will also pursue partnerships with other states to drive down costs, strengthen Colorado’s negotiating power, and guarantee full transparency in rebate flows. In addition, Michael will champion efforts to eliminate spread pricing in the private market by 2027.
- Create a Statewide Health Care Financial Assistance Portal: Due to inefficient and under funded systems, it is too hard for Coloradans to access the health care programs they’re eligible for. Michael’s administration will work with local partners to develop a digital portal where patients can apply for all available health care public assistance programs, including Hospital Discounted Care, Medicaid, and CHP+. The system will automatically route applications to participating hospitals and track status updates in real time.
- Ensuring Access to Care for the Whole Person: Michael will prioritize access to health and behavioral health care across the state, including:
- Integrating Mental Health and Primary Care: Michael will work with primary care providers across the state to support integrated care, so they have the resources and training to provide mental health care and support in their offices. He will also foster the expansion of partnerships that enable primary care providers to access behavioral health and specialty care for their patients remotely without having an in-house provider and create capacity in areas of the state without a sufficient supply of mental health providers.
- Guaranteeing Mental and Behavioral Health Care Parity: Colorado law requires mental and behavioral health care to be covered by insurance on the same terms as physical health care. Too often, however, these parity laws are ignored, inconsistently enforced, or weakened by loopholes that delay or deny care when people need it most. Michael will make enforcing mental health parity a priority. He will work to close loopholes, strengthen oversight, and hold insurance providers accountable when they fail to provide behavioral health coverage that meets legal requirements. This includes ensuring timely access to providers, reasonable prior authorization requirements, and fair reimbursement for mental health services.
- Expanding the Healthcare Workforce and Reducing Barriers to Virtual Care: Michael will explore ways to expand access to telemedicine and other technology across Colorado, ensuring that all Coloradans, including those in rural or underserved areas, can connect with health and mental health care providers quickly and conveniently. He will also work with employers, labor, and educators to meet critical workforce needs in health and behavioral health through working in partnership with communities across the state to expand opportunities for apprenticeships and job experience in health care starting in high school, and to expand training and residency pipelines.
