Your Health Hub: July 2012
We should all be able to get the care we need to stay healthy! Decisions about our health are too important to be left to others. By becoming more informed about the changes being discussed and getting involved in efforts to spread the word about healthcare reform, you can take part in making sure healthcare works for you and your family.
Senate Bill 134 is signed into law! On May 7, 2012, Gov. Hickenlooper signed the bill creating the Hospital Payment Assistance Program. This program will help provide clear information about possible financial assistance online, at the hospital when patients are admitted, as well as on the hospital bill itself. This law also will help working people and their families to manage the cost of their hospital care by requiring hospitals to work with low-income Coloradans by setting up reasonable payment plans.
Legislature packs up… Oh wait… As state legislators prepared to end their session and return to their districts, Gov. Hickenlooper called a “Special Session,” citing a number of legislative issues that the Colorado House of Representatives failed to act on. 30 different bills, including one that would provide pregnant women enrolled in Medicaid with dental care coverage, all failed in the Colorado State House. Throughout the 2012 legislative session, many bills passed to support health and wellness in Colorado. For more information regarding these bills, visit leg.state.co.us.
511,684 Coloradans to get rebates! Due to a provision in the Affordable Care Act, $1.3 billion dollars of misused insurance money is being returned to the consumers. In Colorado, 511,684 people will divide $26 million and can expect to receive an average of $61.68 based on which group market your insurance plan is in. For more information regarding the ACA’s medical loss ratio, visit healthcare.gov.
be well Centers opened June 4! Central Park recreation center located in Stapleton and Hiawatha Davis recreation center located in Park Hill now serve as the new sites for the be well Healthy Living Centers that provide a variety of healthy living resources. Participants will be able to visit and take advantage of the services at be well Healthy Living Centers Free of Charge and WILL NOT be required to have a Denver Parks and Recreation Center membership. For more information, visit bewellconnect.org or call 303-468-3228.
Your Health Hub is a monthly column provided by the be well Health and Wellness Initiative of the Stapleton Foundation intended to provide Park Hill residents with detailed information on what is happening in health in the Park Hill neighborhood. The column will also attempt to clarify the various measures of the new healthcare reform laws, describing what they mean to Park Hill residents. One or more aspects of the new healthcare reform laws will be explained in the column each month. Various organizations and/or entities that serve the Park Hill neighborhood will contribute to the column.