Years ago folks right here in Colorado and across the country found common ground in the fact that they were paying too much for too little health care coverage – if they were able to qualify for coverage at all. Momentum was building and change was coming, manifesting in the Affordable Care Act, which was signed into law nine years ago this month to bring the nation’s health care system in line with needs of consumers across the country. 

The ACA was arguably one of the most influential, significant and far-reaching pieces of health care legislation of the 21st century. The bill was by no means a cure-all. But in Colorado we have been working to continue improving the state’s health care system in the spirit of reducing costs and increasing access for all.

Gov. Jared Polis recently created the Office for Saving People Money on Health Care by executive order. We are working on bills to create an affordable state health care option, stop surprise billing, prevent the sale of junk insurance plans and more. We are proud to say that in the 2019 legislative session our state is working to provide some welcome hope and opportunity for advocates for affordable, high-quality health care like myself. 

For many of the folks I speak to in my district, it’s that affordable piece that has been hard to come by. That’s why I sponsored House Bill 1001, along with Sens. Dominick Moreno and Bob Rankin, which is now heading for the governor’s desk to be signed into law. 

This bipartisan bill requires hospitals to disclose the actual costs of many of their expenditures to provide transparency and help lower costs for consumers. Hospital care currently accounts for about 40 percent of the total health care costs in the state.These annual financial reports will be compiled by the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, along with the Colorado Healthcare Affordability and Sustainability Enterprise Boards.

After a review process, these reports would be publicly available to help patients and policy makers have a better understanding of where money is going. This type of accountability and financial insight will be particularly helpful in determining how to reduce costs in rural communities where health care costs are skyrocketing. It will also provide information around the rates hospitals are charging patients with insurance versus the uninsured. Finally, employers and insurance carriers can also use this data to choose the most efficient hospitals to contract with and pass the savings along to employees and individuals.

We are also hopeful that requiring hospitals to reveal additional background on their staffing and operating overhead will increase competition in the industry and help consumers make more informed choices. Many other industries already have similar requirements that have driven innovative solutions to increase efficiency and drive down costs. 

At a time when politicians in Washington D.C., have been working tirelessly to roll back critical health care provisions like the ACA, I’m very proud to be a lawmaker in a state like Colorado where we are working to make health care more accessible and transparent – not less. All that’s needed is lawmakers to come to the table to find common-sense solutions that improve the health care system for all Coloradans – and all Americans.

Chris Kennedy, a Lakewood Democrat, represents District 23 in the Colorado House.