WITHDRAWN (Amendment 56 -- Employer Responsibility for Health Insurance)

WTITHDRAWN - Will appear on ballot, but votes won't count.

This would require private employers with at least 20 employees to offer health insurance to both employees and their dependents either directly or through paying premiums to a health insurance authority set up by the state of Colorado. The employee may pay at most 20% of his or her coverage and 30% of the dependent coverage. If this ballot issue is approved by the voters, the legislature would define the minimum components of the required health care coverage.

Unwarranted CONSTITUTIONAL Change – ADDS Section 16 to Article XVIII.

Recommendation: no
This amendment is clearly born out of frustration with the lack of health care action at the national level and unhappiness with the results of the 208 Commission established to come up with a solution for Colorado. This amendment continues to tie health insurance to employment status, which I think is a mistake, while putting such a change into the constitution where it would be very hard to change. I would prefer that such a far-reaching amendment be placed in the Colorado Revised Statutes. If the general assembly were then to tinker with it to the disappointment of citizens, we could revisit the constitutional amendment idea. This amendment excludes employees of small companies, contract labor and any public employees. It does include part-time employees, a provision which could adversely affect small businesses such as restaurants.


Website for Yes side (Coloradans for Middle Class Relief)
No initiative-specific website found, but some info at website below.
http://ufcw7.canvastoolbox.com/

Website for No side (Coloradans for Responsible Reform)
http://www.nopoisonpills.com/


Amendment 56 (Approved ballot title below)

Employer Responsibility for Health Insurance

Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado Constitution concerning health care coverage for employees, and, in connection therewith, requiring employers that regularly employ twenty or more employees to provide major medical health care coverage to their employees; excluding the state and its political subdivisions from the definition of "employer"; allowing an employer to provide such health care coverage either directly through a carrier, company, or organization or acting as a self-insurer, or indirectly by paying premiums to a health insurance authority to be created pursuant to this measure that will contract with health insurance carriers, companies, and organizations to provide coverage to employees; providing that employees shall not be required to pay more than twenty percent of the premium for such coverage for themselves and more than thirty percent of such coverage for the employees' dependents; financing the costs of administering the health insurance authority and health care coverage provided through the authority with premiums paid by employers to the authority and, if necessary, such revenue sources other than the state general fund as determined by the general assembly; directing the general assembly to enact such laws as are necessary to implement the measure; and setting the effective date of the measure to be no later than November 1, 2009?

Yes ________________ No ________________


To see the full text of the proposed measure, click here, then click on “2008 State Ballot Information Booklet” at the top of the page.