Dear Editor,

My ten-year old granddaughter needed blood transfusions every other week all last year to treat a rare kind of anemia. The pediatric hematologist at Childrens’ Hospital wanted to treat her with a medication but had to get permission from her insurance company to agree to pay for the drug.

We waited and waited and waited until finally we received permission. We waited not because the drug was a medically controversial drug to treat children with anemia. We waited because it was expensive and the insurance company wanted to avoid paying for the care my granddaughter needed. Is it okay to let a 10-year old child wait for care and endure more transfusions because the insurance company would prefer to make more money to pay high and unnecessary administrative costs than treat a child?

I hope you will contact our Representative, Judy Amabile, judy.amabile.house@state.co.us 303-866-2578 and our Senator, Dylan Roberts, dylan.roberts.senate@state.co.us 303- 866-4871. Encourage them to vote for HB24-1075 the Health Care Analysis Bill introduced in January for the Colorado 2024 legislative session.

If this bill passes and is signed by Governor Polis, the Colorado School of Public Health will analyze the feasibility of creating a health care fund in Colorado that would cover your family’s health care needs, be an enterprise without any interest in delaying or denying care, would not have any interest in making a profit, and cost your family less than your health care costs will be if you continue to pay for health care the way you do now.

Let’s find out if there is a better way to ensure your family has the healthcare they need when they need it.

Jeanne Nicholson

Black Hawk