Universal healthcare supporters are launching a campaign to make Colorado the first state to replace the federal health law with a taxpayer-funded coverage for all, according to Business Insider.
Here are five takeaways:
1. The campaign, The ColoradoCareYES campaign, is seeking to place the plan on the state ballot next year to determine if voters will approve universal healthcare.
2. Those opposed to universal healthcare claim it will drastically raise costs. Linda Gorman, a healthcare analyst for Denver-based Independence Institution, said, "It's really bad news. Basically, what it wants to do is vacuum up all the federal funds for healthcare, and then it wants to impose a new tax on everybody. This would put Colorado tax rates right up there."
3. The proposed plan would amend the state constitution to give health coverage to any individual under age 65 through a resident-run health co-op.
4. In the ColoradoCareYES plan, employers would pay a new tax, nearly 7 percent of a worker's wages, into the health co-op in addition to deductions for Social Security and Medicare. Employees would pay a payroll tax of about 3 percent.
5. Proponents of this universal coverage claim the plan will cost $3 billion a year, but will ultimately save $9 billion in healthcare administration costs compared to the current system.
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