Colorado Faith Leaders: Make Health Coverage More Affordable

October 20, 2009  |  Denver Daily News

Local faith leaders are joining faith leaders from around the country in Washington today to proclaim the "moral case" for improving health reform legislation currently being considered by Congress.

Revs. Bill Calhoun, Sally Bowersox and Erik Karas have left their Denver area congregations to join the rally in Washington. They are calling upon lawmakers to pass reform that would make coverage more affordable for lower-income families.

"We need to make sure that at this very critical time, as they merge the Senate bills together É that what happens at the end of this is a bill that comes out that is truly affordable," Karas told the Denver Daily News over the phone from his hotel in Washington.

A Senate finance panel last week approved its version of a reform measure with the support of Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe. Negotiations have moved behind closed doors as Senate leaders work to consolidate the Finance Committee's bill with another proposal from the Senate's health committee.

The Finance Committee bill did not call for a government insurance alternative, while the bill from the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee did.

It is unclear when a final measure will emerge on the Senate floor for a full vote, but President Obama has called for a bill this year. Colorado's two U.S. Senators ? both Democrats ? applauded the progress made last week, but said the bill is not perfect.

"We have several steps to go before we bring a bill to the Senate floor," said Sen. Mark Udall. "I'm going to continue to work with my colleagues to include a public insurance option and a provision that will help recruit and train more doctors to practice in rural communities."

Most Republicans remain opposed to the reform package presented by Democrats, instead pushing a free-market approach.

"The good news is that if we reject nationalized health care, there are many free-market reforms that can lower the cost of health care," said Congressman Doug Lamborn, R-Colorado Springs. "We can do this right through common-sense reforms that keep Americans in control of their own health care."

But Bowersox points out that for low-income families barely getting by, the time for progressive health reform is now. She is the executive director of the Saint Benedict Health and Healing Ministry, which provides health services to low-income individuals and families in the Boulder area.

"We need to really make it work for everyone and just feel that we can't require families who are at risk to purchase insurance that costs too much and covers way too little," she said.

Distributed by Colorado Capitol Reporters