Colorado recently formed a blue ribbon commission to study its state healthcare dilemma. To do this, it engaged The Lewin Group to analyze alternative proposals to expand coverage. The Lewin Group has performed similar analyses in several states and is a respected analytical/consutling group.

Several programs were evaluated with such catchy names as Better Health Care for Colorado, Solutions for a Healthy Colorado, A Plan for Covering Colorado, and Colorado Health Services Single Payer Program.

The first three programs offered combination public-private hybrid programs which were essentially admixtures of private insurance, public programs, government low income subsudies, and numerous combinations of out-of-pocket requirements. All three reduced the number of uninsured by varying amounts and increased health spending.

The best of these seemed to be Solutions for a Healthy Colorado which left only 133,400 uninsured at an increse in spending of only $271 million. The Single Payer Plan combined the current plans for state and local workers, Federal Health Benefits, Medicare, Tricare ( armed forces), Veteran's Health nad Indian Health services. The result: no one remained uninsured and there was a decline of spending of $1.4 billion! (A disclaimer: I have not read the entire report. What is cited above is a summary provided by the chief policy advisor of Physicians for a National health Program.

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