Health care reform means more than health care - it could mean more jobs and stronger economic growth here in Colorado.
As the health reform debate heats up in Washington, new research suggests that health reform could have real impact closer to home. A CoPIRG (Colorado Public Interest Research Group Research) Brief, entitled Health Reform and the Economy, finds that proposals to tame health care costs could allow the creation of 40,598 Colorado jobs over a five year period without inflationary effects, and yield stronger economic growth over the long term.
According to Danny Katz, CoPIRG’s State Director, "This research sends a simple message to those in Washington: strong health care reform is the right direction for Colorado consumers."
These findings come as Capitol Hill awaits the introduction of Senator Ted Kennedy's (D-Massachusetts) landmark health reform bill. The research estimates state-level impact of health reform on jobs and the economy for each of the fifty states and the District of Columbia, including:
* The number of jobs over the next five years that could be generated, with no inflationary effect
* The additional economic activity that could be generated.
The estimates are derived from the recent national report, The Economic Case for Health Reform, prepared by the White House Council of Economic Advisors.
"The Kennedy bill is a serious effort to check the private insurance industry and rein in the explosive growth of American's health premiums."
says Larry McNeely, CoPIRG's Federal Health Care Advocate. "In the current economy, it couldn't come a moment too soon."
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CoPIRG stands up to powerful special interests on behalf of the public, working to win concrete results for our health and our well-being. With a strong network of researchers, advocates, organizers and students, we take on the special interests on issues, such as product safety, political corruption, prescription drugs and voting rights, where these interests stand in the way of reform and progress.
