Colorado Senate considers big health care changes

DENVER—The Colorado Senate plans to debate some big health care changes Friday, including a proposal to become one of the first states in the nation with universal health care.

The proposal by a Denver Democrat would have Colorado abandon Medicaid and Medicare entirely and move forward with single-payer health care. A 9 percent payroll tax would be required to pay for the ambitious plan, tried in no other state.

The universal health care proposal faces long odds. Democrats are also pushing to expand health assistance to needy adults with a Medicaid expansion, part of the new federal health care law.

Gov. John Hickenlooper has said that Colorado will expand the health assistance.

The Associated Press

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