Colorado's health care costs are rising. Insurance options, particularly on the Western Slope, are dwindling. And insurance premiums in mountain communities are among the highest in the nation.
In January, Gov. Jared Polis took office with a pledge to tackle health care. Joined by state lawmakers, many from the Western Slope, Polis is considering importing prescription drugs from Canada, creating a state-backed insurance plan and a reinsurance pool, as well as examining hospital costs.
The Durango Herald will host a forum Saturday to discuss health care issues in Southwest Colorado and what local lawmakers are doing to address them. The panel will discuss how access to health care affects public health, current health care legislation and the status of the Affordable Care Act.
Ryan Maye Handy, the Herald's legislative reporter, will moderate the panel.
The panelists will be:
Liane Jollon, executive director of San Juan Basin Public Health.Doug McCarthy, president of Durango-based Issues Research Inc., and leader of health care research for the Commonwealth Fund.Guinn Unger, a member of the Indivisible Durango Health Care and Senior Issues Committee.Allie Morgan, director of legislative services for the Colorado Health Institute, a Denver-based health care policy center.
If you go
A health care forum will be held from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday at the Durango Public Library, 1900 East Third Ave. A panel of experts will talk about health care in Southwest Colorado, and there will be a question-and-answer period. For more information, email herald@durangoherald.com.
