Colorado eNLC Update

September 19, 2017

UPDATE: ACA Repeal is Back!

September 19, 2017

Alert! As you have likely heard, renewed ACA repeal efforts have gained steam.  Here is the latest on what is going on and what you can do.

Update:

Despite efforts to find bipartisan agreement on stabilizing the Affordable Care Act’s individual insurance markets, President Trump and Republicans in Congress continue to explore opportunities to repeal ACA. Senate Republicans have until the end of the month  to make another attempt on repealing the ACA using the fast track procedure known as reconciliation.

Legislation authored by Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is increasingly gaining traction in the Senate after receiving the endorsement of Senator McCain (R-AZ), a key hold out from the last repeal effort. According to our conversations with the Hill, the bill is now considered a priority by the Congressional Budget Office to score.  However the CBO announced yesterday that they will give a preliminary update next week, but will not release a full score for at least several weeks. The latest iteration was crafted to comply with reconciliation instructions.

In short the bill would:

• Eliminate ACA's individual and employer mandates.
• Wipe out ACA subsidize for the purchase of private health plans by millions of low- and middle-income people
• Eliminate the expansion of Medicaid benefits to millions of poor adults.
• In its place, Graham-Cassidy would award individual states block grants of money to craft their own health insurance system.
• Allow states to waive coverage of essential health benefits and a ban on underwriting
• Net federal spending related to support of health coverage would drop by many billions of dollars.

 Timing and Outlook: 

According to the Senate Parliamentarian, Senate Republicans only have until the end of September to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) using the budget reconciliation bill that passed the House earlier this year. 

Senate Leadership is currently whipping the vote count with Republican lawmakers to gauge its viability. Senator Cassidy recently indicated that 48 or 49 Senators support the proposal. The Senate could take it up early next week. Since the proposal is different from the House passed American Health Care Act (AHCA), it remains unclear if the House would pass this bill but House Freedom Caucus have already indicated some support for the proposal.  

What you can do: Spread the word--share ANA’s alert and social media posts

Out full grassroots list received a click-to-call alert this morning targeting all Senators, and we will be reaching out on our ANA and RNAction Social media accounts to urge nurses to take action and remind lawmakers of our opposition. An accompanying blog post will go up on Capitol Beat later that day to outline the ANA’s opposition to the bill.

Candida auris Health Alert

September 13, 2017

Candida auris is an emerging, multi-drug resistant fungus that has affected hospitalized patients in more than a dozen countries.  Because the yeast is difficult to diagnose, resistant to major antifungals, can linger on fomites, and spreads quickly, it has proven especially problematic.  Access more information and management tools.

Community Integrated Health Care Service Agency Draft Rule Revisions Posted and Notice of Public Rule-Making

September 11, 2017

Proposed draft regulations required by Senate Bill 16-069 (Concerning Measures to Provide Community-Based Out-of-Hospital Medical Services), Standards for Community Integrated Health Care Service Agencies, 6 CCR 1011-3, were made available for public comment through August 31, 2017. On August 16, 2017, a request for public rule making hearing was made before the Colorado Board of Health. 

The Colorado Board of Health will conduct a public rule-making hearing on: 

Date: October 19, 2017
Time: 10:00 AM
Place: 4300 Cherry Creek Drive South, Building A, 1st Floor, Carson Room, Denver, CO 80246

Please see the attached Notice of Public Rule-Making Hearing for more information regarding the upcoming public hearing. 

To review an updated draft of the rules, revised following public comment and the request for rule-making, visit the division website https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/draft-regulations.