Bill Ritter on Health Care Democrat

2007 Colorado Promise: end the crisis of the uninsured

"Let's fulfill the Colorado Promise by ending the crisis of the uninsured and enacting comprehensive health-care reform. Let's fulfill the Colorado Promise by creating good jobs and fixing our transportation system. And by being stubborn stewards of our land, our air, our water and our wildlife.

"Let's fulfill the Colorado Promise by living up to our part of the social compact Such an important part of who we are as a state, and really as a nation, is the social compact--the covenant that says government exists for the people, for all people. It exists to provide legitimate public functions. It exists to ensure we take care of seniors, and the disabled, and for those who struggle mightily--whatever the reason. Government has a responsibility to intersect with their struggle, looking always for ways to improve the quality of their lives."

Provide Coloradans some basic form of health care by 2010

Basic health care accessible to all Coloradans

As Governor, I will lead an effort to bring all parties together to develop the Colorado Health Plan. The Plan will improve health care access, quality and affordability and promote healthy lifestyle choices. The process will be guided by eight fundamental principles:
1. Basic health care should be available and accessible to all Coloradans.
2. Health care for the 180,000 uninsured children should be an immediate priority.
3. Health care should be affordable and financed in a cost-effective manner.
4. Quality health care should be available and accessible regardless of geography.
5. Health care reform must be developed collaboratively.
6. Medicaid must become more efficient and effective.
7. We should foster competition as a means to drive quality up and costs down.
8. We all must take personal responsibility for our own health.

Adopt national health reform legislation before the end of the year.

In a letter to congressional leadership, 22 governors are urging federal lawmakers to adopt national health reform legislation before the end of the year to provide families and businesses with much-needed security and stability.

"We commend you and your colleagues for provisions included in your bills that will help states," the governors wrote. "Many of the provisions will allow states to achieve long term savings and help cover those who currently go without health coverage. We recognize that health reform is a shared responsibility and everyone, including state governments, needs to partner to reform our broken health care system."

"Efforts at the federal level, like the recent and critical investments that support states' HIV and prevention initiatives, are beginning the work to lower health care costs. Our citizens and our states, however, will only achieve the health care security and stability they need if we succeed in working together to achieve health care reform."

3.2% funding increase for National Institutes of Health.

NIH, as well as the indirect job benefits of laboratories needing space, supplies, services, and equipment. We are also deeply aware that NIH-funded discoveries are the basis of new companies and even new industries in our communities.

NIH research is an instrumental part of the success of the US life sciences industry and its 6 million high-wage US jobs. Moreover, follow-on life science research advances are now stimulating new jobs and new solutions in green energy, agriculture, the environment and industrial manufacturing. NIH funding enables the scientific talent and discoveries that are at the heart of this vast array of economic activity.

As you develop the Congressional Budget Resolution, we urge you to enable the 3.2% funding increase for NIH contained in the President's budget request. We thank you for your past support for biomedical research and ask you to craft a budget resolution that accommodates the President's $32.2 billion FY 2011 NIH budget request.

The greatest contribution NIH makes is to the health and well-being of Americans. Past federal investments in medical research, combined with those from the private sector, have led to improved health, better quality of life, and improved productivity of millions of patients and their families.

But NIH is also an important national, regional, and local economic engine. Together, our states received more than $19 billion from the NIH last year for promising research efforts. NIH funding directly supports 350,000 jobs across the US. In our states, we see firsthand the world class research institutions and scientific teams enabled by