Good health care matters to me as it does to most parents. When my daughter was a baby, she spent time in the hospital as we struggled to figure out what was wrong with her airways. She received a diagnosis for a condition that is manageable with the help of her specialist at Children’s Hospital. She has seen this same specialist for eight years, and when he moved offices, we moved with him because we had the choice to do so under our private insurance. Like the majority of parents, I want to keep my private insurance.

Five years ago, my husband was diagnosed with cancer. While he is thankfully in remission and doing well, being able to make our own choices for his health care made all the difference. Choosing the doctor that’s best for you and your family matters when you’re faced with a health crisis.

These experiences – sadly familiar to many Colorado families – lead me to oppose the government public-option bill in our legislature. It’s already been delayed multiple times because of citizens raising their voices against it.  

Yet, the Democrats plan to bring it forward, again. 

This shouldn’t be a Republican or Democrat issue; it’s an issue of choice vs. control. While health-care bills often sound good and appear to offer security and comfort, the danger is in the details. Because the insurance commissioner would control the system, families would lose control over critical health care choices, and many would lose the private insurance they love. 

The head of a children’s hospital in Colorado testified last week that this bill would cause reduced and withheld treatment for kids. That’s terrifying. 

Another danger all parents should worry about is the closure of hospitals.  

Rural hospitals in Colorado already have a tough time meeting their bottom line and often experience revenue loss. The public-option bill could force 20-plus hospitals to close forever.  

As a parent who had to access a rural hospital on vacation when my son nearly stopped breathing – and might not have made it home to the metro area – I understand how vital hospitals are across our state. If you live in rural Colorado, you deserve the same access to hospitals as families who live in our cities and suburbs. It’s shameful that the Democrats in our legislature don’t believe this.

Real jobs are at risk with the public-option bill. The Common Sense Institute’s study found that “between 3,900 to 4,900 healthcare jobs could be lost … including employment for doctors, nurses, and patient care professionals.” Losing their job is the last thing doctors and nurses need after getting us through the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s baffling that Democrats in the legislature don’t understand this.

If the Democrats are so confident their public-option plan will work, why are they refusing to allow the insurance commissioner to testify under oath? As an attorney, I understand that people don’t decline to testify under oath unless they have something to hide. The government bureaucrat who would be in charge of a public-option system should be nothing but transparent and honest during the legislative process. But this isn’t happening.

Whenever politicians refuse to give answers to parents, we must demand a full stop. 

The public-option bill isn’t an option for Colorado families, and it needs to be stopped in its tracks. We simply can’t afford another devastation to families’ health-care choices. 

Republicans will fight back against this government takeover of health care, because politicians shouldn’t have more control over your family’s health care than you do.  

Kristi Burton Brown is a mother of two and currently serves as the chairwoman of the Colorado GOP.