Colorado lawmakers are witness to health care disparity
Colorado lawmakers are witness to health care disparity
September 22, 2009
By: Burt Hubbard
More than one of every five residents in Rep. Diana DeGette's 1st Congressional District in Denver lacks health insurance.
Colorado lawmakers are witness to health care disparity
September 22, 2009
By: Burt Hubbard
More than one of every five residents in Rep. Diana DeGette's 1st Congressional District in Denver lacks health insurance.
Both said they want to reform health care, but their constituents are pulling them in opposite directions, especially on the public-option proposal.
"I can't go to the beauty shop without getting inundated with different stories about people who have lost their insurance or who can't get insurance," said DeGette, a Democrat, whose district's uninsured rate is 22.7 percent. "I was literally coming out of church and somebody stopped me and said, 'Please fight for the public option.' "
Coffman gets an entirely different message from his district, where 9.1 percent are uninsured.
"They are very worried about the public option because of the costs and the unknown impact on Medicare," Coffman said.
A new census report breaks out for the first time the number of insured in each congressional district. In Colorado, it shows wide variations. Three districts — those held by DeGette and Democrats Ed Perlmutter and John Salazar — have more than 20 percent of the residents without health insurance.
The four other districts — two held by Republicans and two by Democrats — have uninsured rates of 16 percent or less, the report said.
DeGette, who also represents parts of Aurora, said she can see the differences in the debate over reform.
"I think people in districts where most of the people are relatively happy with their insurance, there's not as much public outpouring directed at those members," she said.
Coffman, whose district includes Douglas County, worries that the debate will become so polarized it will lead to inertia.
"I see this as a real opportunity to have meaningful reform. We just differ on how to get there," he said. "I'm hoping we can meet in the middle."