State legislators in Colorado have been crafting House Bill 1349 for several years. It was designed to create a state-based public healthcare option for Coloradans, similar to that of New York. Thanks in part to the Common Sense Institute (CSI), an Atlas Network partner, the bill was defeated.
CSI released several studies on the economic impact of the bill, which quickly became a focal point in the state-wide debate. Their research highlighted the revenue shortfalls that hospitals would incur, the impact that COVID-19 would play, and the moral deficiencies that the bill included. The research contributed greatly to the public discussion, and HB 1349 lost most of its public support. In May, the sponsors of the bill scrapped it.
The state legislature is planning to reintroduce a similar bill in 2021—one that CSI hopes will meet a similar fate.
Atlas Network supported this initiative with a grant.