Amendment 63 in Colorado -The Health Care Choice

From the second President Obama began his campaign, his speeches were about health care. He fulfilled his campaign promise to America and got the Health Care Reform passed. Not a complete answer to America's problems with millions uninsured, but definitely in the eyes of the proponents of health care, a great start.

Immediately following the passage of the historical bill, states across the country began to file this paper and that paper, saying the new law was unconstitutional. They also filed new election measures to try and counter act the Federal Government. Colorado is going to answer that question in November as well. Amendment 63 is Colorado's version of telling the Obama Administration it doesn't want their health care reform, in the forceful form it has been presented.

Amendment 63 is a mild mannered statement, but with big implications, according to the opponents. According to the Secretary of State website(http://www.sos.state.co.us) this is the basic proposed Amendment.

ALL PERSONS SHALL HAVE THE RIGHT TO HEALTH CARE CHOICE. NO STATUTE, REGULATION, OR POLICY ADOPTED OR ENFORCED BY THE STATE OF COLORADO, ITS DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES, INDEPENDENTLY OR AT THE INSTANCE OF THE UNITED STATES SHALL: (a)REQUIRE ANY PERSON DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY PUBLIC OR PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN, HEALTH COVERAGE PLAN, HEALTH BENEFIT PLAN OR SIMILAR PLAN.

This looks great from the perspective of our freedoms. I don't think anyone in their right mind would opt for more intrusions into our lives. Though somewhat liberal in my thinking, I totally understand how too much government can be a bad thing. I do think that health care was an unavoidable intrusion. As with anything, if you leave it alone long enough, there is a slack attitude that occurs. America's health care or lack there of, is one of those issues.

We have come to the point, that people, due to a laundry list of reasons, have become uninsured. I don't think all of the reasons are self inflicted. After a year of my husband being unemployed and without health insurance(Cobra was excessively expensive), I agree something needed to be done to get the health care industry under control and make insurance more available to Americans.

Colorado's Amendment 63 is not trying to take away those opportunities. It is trying to maintain our freedom to choose if we want to participate in what is being offered. It would prevent people from being pressured into forced choices for health care. This is a good thing. Though not as widely publicized as some of the other Amendments for the November ballot, Amendment 63 is a noteworthy issue, to look at more closely. Are we truly ready here in Colorado, to be forced into a health care plan against our better judgment? Supporters of this Amendment are hoping Coloradans will get this issue resolved this November.

The opponents of Amendment 63 say it will hurt the thousands that do not currently have health care and limit the State of Colorado in future efforts to improve our health care, here. This is certainly a potential side effect of this. I don't see it as a problem of this magnitude, but the devil is always in the details of any new proposals.

Colorado, like the rest of America is going to have to deal with health care. Common sense mandates it. Coming to some sort of compromise and advancing from there seems to be a more stable answer. So in November, we will see how well Coloradans were listening to the issues.