By Katie Kerwin McCrimmon
Colorado’s new Commission on Affordable Health Care began its work on Friday with grand plans to cut persistently rising health costs within three years.
First, however, the group of 12 commissioners and five non-voting members, had to take care of the more basic work of deciding when to meet, who will organize the group, how to hire staff, when to hold meetings, how to launch a website and how much money to spend.
Bill Lindsay, former chair of the Colorado’s influential 208 “Blue Ribbon” health care commission, will now be interim chair of the state’s new Commission on Affordable Health Care.
“This is the Commission on Affordable Health Care. The worst thing we could do is overspend our budget,” quipped Bill Lindsay, a commission member who works with insurance brokers for the Lockton Companies.
The commissioners chose Lindsay as their interim chair and created a five-person planning committee to try to get the work going. Lindsay has extensive health policy experience and chaired Colorado’s Blue Ribbon Commission for Health Care Reform, also known as the 208 Commission. https://www.colorado.gov/208commission/ Many of that group’s recommendations have since been implemented either through state law or federal reform.
Colorado lawmakers created the new cost-control commission earlier this year and gave it $400,000 in initial operating funds. The group’s aim is to analyze cost drivers, recommend solutions and propose legislation or other policy changes. The group will meet for three years, but lawmakers could extend the commission’s assignment if they continue to be productive like they did with the state’s criminal justice commission.
Along with Lindsay, four other cost commission members will begin planning for the group. They include Cindy Sovine-Miller, a health lobbyist and business owner from Lakewood; Chris Tholen, the chief financial officer of the Colorado Hospital Association; Elisabeth Arenales, director of health programs for the Colorado Center on Law and Policy; and Marguerite Salazar, Colorado insurance commissioner.
The commissioners launched their work with high hopes for success even though they represent vastly different constituencies and most acknowledged that the work could quickly devolve into partisan battles if commissioners focus on disagreements and retreat to their corners.
“What will prevent success?” said Steve ErkenBrack, president of Rocky Mountain Health Plans, a cost commissioner member, exchange board member and a former 208 commissioner. “Protecting turf.
“There is a boatload of money in health care,” ErkenBrack acknowledged.
He said the group won’t make strides unless everyone gives up turf both financially and economically.
“There are ways to lower costs and actually create higher quality,” ErkenBrack said.
Greg D’Argonne, chief financial officer for the HealthOne hospital system, surprised some in a large crowd at the inaugural meeting when he owned up to the role of hospitals in the problem of rising health costs.
“Believe it or not, we’re a big driver of costs. Believe it or not,” D’Argonne said.
He said that if any state can begin driving down costs, Colorado can.
“What we’ve done already in this state is far more innovative than I’ve seen in other states,” he said. “Three years from now, we need a plan to roll out that’s trackable.”
Dr. Jay Want, a non-voting member of the commission and chief medical officer for CIVHC, the group that collects and disperses data for Colorado’s All Payer Claims Database, speaks frequently around the country and said people often ask him,
“What’s in the water in Colorado that people can actually talk to each other and get something done?”
“I’m very proud of that,” Want said.
Commissioner Salazar said she hopes that within three years, Colorado’s lawmakers will actually be implementing the commission’s recommendations.
“It’s going to take a while,” said Salazar. “You can’t turn a ship that quickly.”
As for fears, she said she worries that commissioners won’t agree on data.
“But…the data will speak for itself. It’s really important that we get accurate data,” Salazar said.
The bottom line, said Dr. Jeffrey Cain, a family physician and another commissioner, is that policymakers must find ways to dramatically cut health spending or it’s going to squeeze out public spending on other critical priorities including roads and education.
“I think the chance for real change is in the states right now,” said Cain. What I can promise you is consensus-driven, bipartisan, evidence-based (solutions) to focus on what’s right for the people of Colorado.
The full commission plans to meet next on Sept. 22 from noon to 3 p.m. Members have not decided on a location for the meeting. The planning committee will meet in the meantime, but those meeting times have not been set.
The full commission includes:
• Elizabeth Arenales of Denver, to serve as a representative from an organization representing consumers and who understands consumers with chronic medical conditions, and as a Democrat from the First Congressional District. Appointed by the speaker of the house on June 24, 2014 for a term expiring July 7, 2017;
• Jeffrey J. Cain, M.D., FAAFP of Denver, to serve as a health care provider who is not employed by a hospital and who is a physician recommended by a statewide society or association whose membership includes at least one-third of the doctors of medicine or osteopathy licensed in the state, and as a Democrat from the First Congressional District. Appointed by the president of the senate on June 30, 2014 for a term expiring July 7, 2017;
• Rebecca Cordes of Denver, to serve as a representative of large, self-insured Colorado businesses, and as a Democrat from the First Congressional District. Appointed by the governor on July 15, 2014 for a term expiring July 7, 2017;
• Greg D’Argonne of Littleton, to serve as a person with expertise in health care payment and delivery, and as a Republican from the Second Congressional District. Appointed by the house minority leader on June 20, 2014 for a term expiring July 7, 2017;
• Steve ErkenBrack of Grand Junction, to serve as a representative of carriers offering health plans in the state, and as a Republican from the Third Congressional District. Appointed by the senate minority leader on June 30, 2014 for a term expiring July 7, 2017;
• Ira Gorman, PT, Ph.D of Evergreen, to serve as a health care provider who is not employed by a hospital and is not a physician, and as a Democrat from the Second Congressional District. Appointed by the president of the senate on June 30, 2014 for a term expiring July 7, 2017;
• Linda Gorman of Greenwood Village, to serve as a health care economist, and as a Republican from the Sixth Congressional District. Appointed by the senate minority leader on June 30, 2014 for a term expiring July 7, 2017;
• Bill Lindsay of Centennial, to serve as a representative of licensed health insurance producers, and as an Unaffiliated from the Sixth Congressional District. Appointed by the governor on July 7, 2014 for a term expiring July 7, 2017;
• Marcy Morrison of Manitou Springs, to serve as a representative from an organization representing consumers, and as a Republican from the Fifth Congressional District. Appointed by the speaker of the house on June 24, 2014 for a term expiring July 7, 2017;
• Dorothy Ann Perry, PhD of Pueblo, to serve as a person with expertise in public health and the provision of health care to populations with low incomes and significant health care needs, and as a Democrat from the Third Congressional District. Appointed by the governor on July 15, 2014 for a term expiring July 7, 2017;
• Cindy Sovine-Miller of Lakewood, to serve as a representative of small Colorado businesses, and as a Republican from the Seventh Congressional District. Appointed by the house minority leader on June 20, 2014 for a term expiring July 7, 2017;
• Christopher Tholen of Centennial, to serve as a representative of hospitals and recommended by a statewide association of hospitals, and as an Unaffiliated from the Sixth Congressional District. Appointed by the governor on June 27, 2014 for a term expiring July 7, 2017.
In addition, the Commission will have five ex officio members, as follows:
• Reggie Bicha, MSW, executive director of the Colorado Department of Human Services;
• Susan Birch, MBA, BSN, RN, executive director of the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing;
• Marguerite Salazar, commissioner of insurance, Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies;
• Jay Want, M.D., to serve as a representative of the Colorado All Payer Claims Database;
• Larry Wolk, M.D., MPH, executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
