Senators delay bill on making health insurance affordable

(The Center Square) – The Colorado Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday battled over a $140 million funding shortfall for the state’s subsidized health insurance program.

The meeting, which included a heated argument among lawmakers during a break, ultimately resulted in Senate Bill 26-178 being delayed to the committee’s meeting on Thursday. The legislation includes changes to the state’s Health Insurance Affordability Act.

The bill recently made headlines after a fee was proposed for health insurance companies to cover part of the cost. Proponents would like to collect a total of $40 million from the companies. The remaining $100 million would come from other sources.

The Senate committee initially agreed to instead draw a one-time $40 million sum from state reserves to keep insurance premiums down in the state after widespread pushback on raising premiums. Committee members across the political spectrum expressed concern about the He...