“Expanding COverage and Lowering COsts” Tour Rolls into Fort Morgan, Sterling & Holyoke
John Hickenlooper met with rural doctors, nurses and patients in Fort Morgan, Sterling and Holyoke last week as part of his “Expanding COverage and Lowering COsts” tour. Expanding access to quality health care and lowering prescription drug and medical costs are two of Hickenlooper’s highest priorities and two of the issues he hears about most as he campaigns across Colorado to be the state’s next U.S. Senator.
Please read more about Hickenlooper’s health care discussions in The Fort Morgan Times and Sterling Journal-Advocate or see highlights below.
The Fort Morgan Times: Hickenlooper talks health care policy at Salud in Fort Morgan
By: Jack Harvel
- During the hour-long discussion Friday in Fort Morgan, Salud administrators, staff and patients told Hickenlooper about the issues facing community health centers and the ways they are providing quality care for less than other primary care options.
- “You are the keystone of the whole safety net,” Hickenlooper said. “This is something to work on in Washington (D.C.), but you should be one of the main pathways to 100% coverage.”
- Community health centers, like Salud, typically offer integrated services in behavioral health, physical health, pharmaceutical care and dental services in one location.
- Salud CEO John Santistevan said they are facing issues with Medicaid reimbursement. Before the Affordable Care Act, Salud received about 36% of its funding from Medicaid, and afterwards that shot up to 58%.
- Salud administrators were also worried about the possibility of cuts to federal funding that was expanded by the ACA, which has to be renewed every two years.
- Hickenlooper was interested in the advances of telemedicine, which can involve a doctor-patient videoconference done instead of an in-person visit.
- Difficulties recruiting doctors in rural areas was also brought up. Salud administrators told Hickenlooper about their struggles retaining doctors for long periods of time.
Sterling Journal-Advocate: Hickenlooper talks health care with local Dems
By: Jeff Rice
- Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper told a group of local Democrats and health professionals Thursday that rural health care will be a primary concern in his campaign for U.S. Senate.
- After meeting with the Sterling contingent for about an hour, Hickenlooper said it’s clear there is much work to be done. One area of concern is the red tape that adds unnecessary costs to health care.
- Hickenlooper also addressed the issue of the GOP tax breaks given to large corporations and the imposition of tariffs on imported goods.
- “They gave tax cuts to the wealthiest people, and then raised tariffs to pay for the tax cuts, and the rest of us are paying for it,” he said. “That’s not fair. Small businesses and especially farmers are being hurt by this governmental malpractice.”
