Colorado news roundup: GOP stalls application for grant to set up insurance exchange

Read about it, plus find links to all the day's public-policy news, at the weekday Colorado news roundup.

State of Working Colorado: Families and food stamps – Different needs for different families

Among Colorado households three distinctions emerge with respect to food stamps. First, single-parent homes have higher food stamp recipiency rates than married-couple homes. Second, among single-parent homes, single-mother households have higher rates than single-father homes. Finally, across the board households with children have dramatically higher rates of food stamp recipiency than childless households. In 2009, single-mother families in Colorado relied on food stamps at five times the rate of the state average.

For more insights, including detailed policy recommendations for enhancing economic security for all Coloradans, check out the State of Working Colorado 2010.

Colorado news roundup: More young Coloradans insured, reforms aim for further improvement

Read about it, plus find links to all the day's public-policy news, at the weekday Colorado news roundup.

Colorado news roundup: Report highlights issues at state-run nursing homes for veterans

Read about it, and find links to all the day's public-policy news, at the weekday Colorado news roundup.

Colorado news roundup: Nonprofits worry over cap on donation tax benefits in Obama's jobs plan

Read about it, and find links to all the day's public-policy news, at the weekday Colorado news roundup.

State of Working Colorado: Food assistance and disability – Many households with disabilities need extra help

Colorado households with disabilities31 rely on food stamps at a higher rate. In 2009, twelve percent households with one or more disabled persons received food stamps, compared to 5 percent of nondisabled households.

For more insights, including detailed policy recommendations for enhancing economic security for all Coloradans, check out the State of Working Colorado 2010.

Colorado news roundup: Five ways the HealthONE hospital deal should be adjusted to protect the public

Check out the commentary from Colorado Center on Law and Policy Special Counsel Ed Kahn, and find links to all the day's public-policy news, at the weekday Colorado news roundup.

State of Working Colorado: Health insurance coverage – Where do Coloradans get insurance?

While a majority of Coloradans have health insurance, many continue to go without. In 2009, 16 percent of Colorado residents were uninsured. Among states, that is the 18th highest rate of uninsurance in the nation. Of insured Coloradans, most were covered under private health insurance, a growing segment was covered by government programs, and a small share was covered by both. The "both" category is not broken out separately, but is included as a part of the public and private shares. Overall, 84 percent reported having health insurance, and 16 percent reported no health insurance.

For more insights, including detailed policy recommendations for enhancing economic security for all Coloradans, check out the State of Working Colorado 2010.

State of Working Colorado: Health insurance coverage over time – Costs and cost burdens rise

Increased cost is a prominent trend in Colorado health insurance. In 2000, the average annual premium in Colorado was $2,450 for single coverage and $6,797 for family coverage. In 2009, those costs were $4,750 and $13,360 respectively. That represents a 94 percent increase in single coverage premiums, and a 97 percent increase in family coverage premiums.

At the same time costs are rising, the burden of payment is falling increasingly on Coloradans. In 2000, Colorado employees were asked to pay 17 percent of premiums by their employers for individual coverage, and 23 percent of premiums for family coverage. In 2009 those shares increased to 22 percent for individuals and 25 percent for families. Growth in cost burden in Colorado outpaces growth for the U.S. as a whole.

For more insights, including detailed policy recommendations for enhancing economic security for all Coloradans, check out the State of Working Colorado 2010.

Colorado news roundup: Greeley continues to be a state leader in poverty levels

Look for analysis from the Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute later today on the laterst numbers on poverty, income and other measurements of wellbeing. For the latest news on Greeley and public-policy issues across the rest of the state, check the weekday Colorado news roundup.

State of Working Colorado: Child health coverage – Success of the safety net

Health insurance coverage for children is of particular concern. First, children are generally dependent on their parents or guardians for coverage. Second, the availability of consistent, high-quality coverage and health care are significant indicators of overall child health and the ability of children to excel.



Consistent with overall coverage trends, a higher percentage of children are publically insured today than at the beginning of the decade. The recessionary surge in children covered by public programs has been dramatic — up from 19 percent of children covered by Medicaid and CHP+ in 2007 to 30 percent in 2009. One in 10 Colorado children was uninsured in 2009, the 14th highest rate of uninsurance among states.

 

For more insights, including detailed policy recommendations for enhancing economic security for all Coloradans, check out the State of Working Colorado 2010.

Grand Junction Sentinel reverses course, endorses Proposition 103

The Daily Sentinel newspaper of Grand Junction became the latest newspaper to endorse Proposition 103 with an editorial published Sunday. Noting Colorado’s population and student enrollment have risen steadily while the state’s education fund is nearly identical to the 2001 amount, the editorial said “it's ridiculous to think we can meet the larger needs of 2011 with 2001 funding levels.” The position is a turnaround for the newspaper, which had initially editorialized against the measure.

“We believe strongly that a competent education system is critical to the economic welfare of our state and our community. Those who don't have children in school still have skin in the game, if they want to see a growing, economically vibrant area... There's no way to make further, large-scale cuts without adversely affecting our public education system, and Colorado's reputation as a great place to live and conduct business.”

Proposition 103 lets voters take a five-year timeout from cuts to public education by restoring the state's sales and income tax rates to 1999 levels. It would raise about $500 million per year, all devoted to public education, preschool through higher education.

The full editorial can be found on the paper's website. (Note: The story is behind the Daily Sentinel’s pay wall and a subscription is required.)

Colorado news roundup: State budget projections show deficit of up to $500 million

State officials issued their quarterly revenue projections yesterday, and the news ain't pretty. Read about it, plus find links to all the day's public-policy news, at the weekday Colorado news roundup.

Colorado news roundup: State gives taxpayers 2nd chance

The Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute, a project of the Colorado Center on Law and Policy, was the main advocate for the bill creating limited tax amnesty. Senate Bill 11-184 also enhances transparency for the state's tax breaks. Read about it, plus find links to all the day's public-policy news, at the weekday Colorado news roundup.

New website lets users compare social indicators to federal spending

Making sense of the torrent of numbers coming from the federal government isn't easy, but the National Priorities Project made it a little easier recently with the launch of its Federal Priorities Database. The database is a Web-based tool tracks both federal spending and social indicators such as poverty rates and employment. Users can track and compare the amount of federal funding a state received for unemployment insurance versus the unemployment rate, for example.

With information for states, counties and school districts, the database provides valuable context and comparisons that could help guide future decisions.Nearly one in 12 Coloradans received food stamps in 2010, reflecting a rise of 80,000 people participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in 2010 compared to 2009. The federal government increased food stamp funding assistance to Colorado by more than $175 million from 2008 to 2009. Colorado received $60.5 million from the federal government to administer unemployment benefit programs in 2009, up from $39.7 million in 2008. Additionally, the number of unemployed Coloradans rose from 225,791 in 2009 to 239,684 in 2010.

The database contains school information as well. About 32 million students participate in the National School Lunch Program, including more than 400,000 in Colorado.That is just a sample of the information users can find at the Federal Priorities Database. The National Priorities Project is a federal budget research organization that works to make complex budget information transparent and accessible.

State of Working Colorado: Medicaid and CHP+ – Healthcare for the neediest

In recent years, Colorado has seen consistent and substantial caseload growth in Medicaid and the Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+), public health insurance programs that cover low-income parents, pregnant women, children and persons with disabilities. Enrollment growth in those programs accelerated during the 2007 recession and continues to well-outpace population growth. Half-way through fiscal year 2010-11, total Medicaid and CHP+ enrollment had grown by 27,000, with the programs serving a total of 624,000 Coloradans. As the effects of the recession reverberate, those programs continue to be crucial in providing health and security for vulnerable Coloradans.

In Colorado, Medicaid and CHP+ enrollment does not fully represent need. Many Coloradans are eligible but not enrolled (EBNE) in these programs. In 2008, 31 percent of eligible adults were not enrolled in Medicaid (26,000 EBNE adults). The same year, 29 percent of eligible children were not enrolled in either Medicaid or CHP+ (115,000 EBNE kids).38





Colorado’s sizeable eligible but not enrolled populations are partially a result of problems with the state’s system of administering medical assistance programs. The Colorado Benefits Management System (CBMS), the computer system used to administer many of Colorado’s assistance programs, is a major contributor to the problem. Introduced in the middle of the past decade, CBMS has consistently failed to deliver timely application processing, and has exhibited unreliable performance. Colorado needs to improve CBMS and its administration of assistance programs to ensure that eligible families get the help they need when they need it.

 

For more insights, including detailed policy recommendations for enhancing economic security for all Coloradans, check out the State of Working Colorado 2010.

Colorado news roundup: Easiest way to deal with poverty: pretend it doesn't exist

Some valuable insights on poverty from the Boulder Daily Camera editorial board. Check it out, plus find links to all the day's public-policy news, at the weekday Colorado news roundup.

State of Working Colorado: Income – Better than average, but stagnant a decade later

If all households were lined up by income level, the median family income of the group would be the amount earned by the household in the very middle of the pack. The median value is often more representative of the majority than an average (mean) value, which can be skewed by extreme outliers (upward, in the case of income). Like many other measures of economic potential in the state, Colorado median household income is better relative to the rest of the country. Colorado has maintained its income advantage since the 1990s.15 In 2009, the median household income in Colorado was $55,430, versus $50,221 for the nation. That ranks 14th highest among states.16



Yet despite Colorado’s relative wealth, changes in income during the past decade have been less positive. In 2009, the real median household income in Colorado was not statistically different from the median income in 2000. In other words, earnings of the typical Colorado household had the same buying power at the end of decade as they did at the beginning.

 

For more insights, including detailed policy recommendations for enhancing economic security for all Coloradans, check out the State of Working Colorado 2010.

Colorado news roundup: Sides battle over Prop 103's predicted effect on employment

The Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute analyzed the claims of opponents of Proposition 103 in a paper issued yesterday. Read about it, and find links to all the day's public-policy news, at the weekday Colorado news roundup.

Elder economic security: Half of Coloradans age 65 and older must pay a mortgage or rent

The cost of housing remains a major factor in household budgets for Coloradans age 65 and older. An estimated 31 percent of households in that agegroup have a mortgage to pay, and 20 percent are renters. A mortgage or rent dramatically increases the cost of living for elders, but those differences among households aren't accounted for in conventional measurements of economic security.

For more insights on the true cost of living for elders in Colorado, including estimates for each of the state's 64 counties, check the Elder Economic Security Standard Index for Colorado.

Colorado news roundup: Foreclosure filings in urban Colorado down 31% in 2011

Not terrible news for the state's economy, but we've got a long way to go for full recovery from the Great Recession. Read the latest developments, plus find links to all the day's public-policy news, at the weekday Colorado news roundup.

JPMorgan Chase Foundation a new, key partner in CCLP’s efforts to reduce poverty

The Colorado Center on Law and Policy’s poverty-reduction efforts got a big boost over the summer with a $30,000 gift from the JPMorgan Chase Foundation. The grant will support CCLP’s Family Economic Security Program, and in particular our leadership of the Colorado Legislature’s Economic Opportunity Poverty Reduction Task Force. The task force facilitates the integration of services between public and nonprofit sectors, coordinates efforts to reduce poverty and identifies best practices for promoting economic opportunity. Task force members are creating a strategic plan to reduce poverty by half in Colorado by 2019.

Details about the Economic Opportunity Poverty Reduction Task Force are on the task force’s blog, called 2019. To learn more about the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, and grants made in Colorado and around the world, visit www.jpmorganchase.com/giving or e-mail jill.s.barkin@chase.com.

Colorado news roundup: Economic recovery uneven across state

Economic recovery in some Colorado cities is behind the national curve. Read about it, plus find links to all the day's public-policy news, at the weekday Colorado news roundup.

Colorado news roundup: Reporter tests how far a food stamp budget will stretch

The answer: Not very far. Read about it, plus find links to all the day's public-policy news, at the weekday Colorado news roundup.

Colorado news roundup: Plan to buy hospital interests doesn't need top scrutiny, AG rules

Find more detail about developments in the HCA/HealthONE deal with the Colorado Health Foundation in today's edition of Health Law and Policy Update, to be published this afternoon. Read the latest developments, plus find links to all the day's public policy news, at the weekday Colorado news roundup.

Colorado news roundup: Commentary argues why 'TABOR violates the U.S. Constitution'

Interesting take in the Colorado Springs Gazette. Read all about it, plus find links to all the day's public-policy news, at the weekday Colorado news roundup.

CCLP seeks a health policy attorney

The Colorado Center on Law and Policy seeks a health policy attorney to work with our Health Care Program. Details are on a job announcement. Announcement posted Sept. 7. Initial review of applications will begin Sept. 23. Application instructions are in the job announcement. No phone calls, please.

Colorado news roundup: Tax hikes proposed by DU researchers not at all radical

Another demonstration of just how modest the Bright Colorado initiative is. Check out analysis from The Colorado Independent, plus find links to all the day's public-policy news, at the weekday Colorado news roundup.

Elder economic security: More than one in five Coloradans age 75 and older have annual income of less than $15k

About 22 percent of Coloradans age 75 and older have annual household income of less than $15,000. That's not enough to make ends meet, even if it's a single-person household without a mortgage, according to the Colorado Elder Index.

For more insights on the true cost of living for elders in Colorado, including estimates for each of the state's 64 counties, check the Elder Economic Security Standard Index for Colorado.

Colorado news roundup: Foundation loses hospital control after 10 years, under HCA deal

A piece in the June 17 edition of Health Law and Policy Update offers valuable background on the HCA-HealthOne transaction with the Colorado Health Foundation. Read the latest developments, plus find links to all the day's public-policy news, at the weekday Colorado news roundup.

Colorado news roundup: Budget outlook worse than thought and cutting alone won't fix it

Couldn't agree more with the upshot from a study by a team of researchers at the University of Denver. Read about it, plus find links to all the day's public-policy news at the weekday Colorado news roundup.