June 11, 2013
Obamacare in Colorado is getting down to the details, in dollars and cents.
One of the 16 states that is setting up its own online insurance marketplace, Colorado on Monday named 58 organizations it’s selected to form its “assistance network” to help residents sign up for health coverage on the exchange. But no organization is getting all the money it applied for, and it’s unclear how many will accept the grants they’ve been offered. That may mean gaps in reaching all corners of the state, or specifically targeted populations, such as refugees, rural Latinos, or the disabled.
A total of 74 groups applied in April for assistance network grants to do the work, they ranged from hospitals andcounty public health agencies to ethnic associations and the Colorado Motor Carriers Association, “the voice of trucking in Colorado.”
Their collective ask? More than $57 million. Money available? Seventeen million, mostly from expected but yet-to-be-awarded federal and local health foundation grants.
“That’s meant some very difficult decisions needed to be made getting us into our budget range,” said Assistance Network Manager Adela Flores-Brennan.
“Some may say, ‘We can’t do this,’” said exchange CEO Patty Fontneau. “Realize we had to cut 70 percent of the requests, when you look at the amount of money that was requested.” Read more here.
Obamacare in Colorado is getting down to the details, in dollars and cents.
One of the 16 states that is setting up its own online insurance marketplace, Colorado on Monday named 58 organizations it’s selected to form its “assistance network” to help residents sign up for health coverage on the exchange. But no organization is getting all the money it applied for, and it’s unclear how many will accept the grants they’ve been offered. That may mean gaps in reaching all corners of the state, or specifically targeted populations, such as refugees, rural Latinos, or the disabled.
A total of 74 groups applied in April for assistance network grants to do the work, they ranged from hospitals andcounty public health agencies to ethnic associations and the Colorado Motor Carriers Association, “the voice of trucking in Colorado.”
Their collective ask? More than $57 million. Money available? Seventeen million, mostly from expected but yet-to-be-awarded federal and local health foundation grants.
“That’s meant some very difficult decisions needed to be made getting us into our budget range,” said Assistance Network Manager Adela Flores-Brennan.
“Some may say, ‘We can’t do this,’” said exchange CEO Patty Fontneau. “Realize we had to cut 70 percent of the requests, when you look at the amount of money that was requested.” Read more here.
