How CO4UHC is Shaking Up Colorado’s Healthcare Scene and Winning Big

Proponents of universal healthcare in Colorado are wondering if the governor’s recent actions signal that the third time is truly the charm. One such advocacy group is the Colorado Foundation For Universal Health Care (CO4UHC) who, since 1996, has been advocating for a universal health care plan for all Coloradans. Recent developments at both the state and federal level have given the group both a renewed optimism and a sense of urgency.

The need for change to the healthcare landscape has perhaps never been so pressing. Trump’s so-called “Big, Beautiful Bill”, which was just passed through the sentence this week, is positioned to drastically alter the country’s Medicare and Medicaid programs. The Hill called the cuts to medicaid the largest in US history, and, the U.S. Congressional Budget Office estimates that as many as 100,000 Colorado residents will lose health care coverage. This has added some existential pressure to the work that organizations like CO4UHC are doing.

CO4UHC is focused on advocacy, education, and outreach in Colorado, and the nation at-large, on the topic of universal healthcare. They back an Improved Medicare for All (IM4A) system that would cover the health costs of every resident for every needed service. 

University of Colorado School of Medicine student Kavya Ganuthula has experienced firsthand the shortcomings of the current healthcare system. She told Yellow Scene Magazine “Since the pandemic, we have seen increases in the rates of mental health among youth, and emergency departments across the state have actually faced the issues with needing to “board” these patients while they await further stabilizing therapies at an inpatient facility.”

It’s exactly these kinds of systemic gaps that CO4UHC has been working to address through policy advocacy and statewide organizing. Much of their work is focused on raising public awareness. Sara Wright, Director of Communications at CO4UHC that much of their mission is really about constructing bridges and building consensus.  “I feel like we all need to learn to talk across the divide and listen across the divide,” Wright said “There’s often wisdom on both sides and that all the solutions we can come up with will be stronger if they incorporate wisdom from everyone.”

On June 14, the org held a statewide conference in Lafayette with speakers and breakout sessions designed to help participants become more involved in the cause of universal healthcare. Wright estimates that there were over 1,000 attendees.

Though it may seem surprising, the organization’s original goal was never to be leading the fight for IM4A or policy changes. The organization just aimed to teach people how to navigate the complexities of the healthcare system. They were particularly concerned with cases where there was a clear clash between what doctors recommended and what insurance companies were willing to cover. But over time, it became clear that individual guidance wasn’t enough to overcome the larger systemic barriers. As a result, In 2011 the team rebranded and changed course. Now called the Colorado Foundation for Universal Health Care, the group committed fully to pushing for a universal health care program for Colorado and beyond.

Despite widespread worries about national health care policy, CO4UHC recently secured an important and much-needed win.  On May 23, the Larimer County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution urging United States legislators to support health care “without any restrictions or barriers.” Nearly a week earlier, on May 14, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed SB25-45 which directs the Carter Center for Public Health to create a draft of what legislation providing universal health care in the state would look like. Unlike similar proposals that stalled in the last two legislative sessions, this bill passed with bipartisan support. Although there’s little doubt that CO4UHC’s efforts helped build political momentum around universal health care, they are not the only organization challenging healthcare expectations, either in Colorado or across the country. Wright estimates that groups like theirs are active in “at least 34 states.” Together, all these organizations contributed to this recent victory.

CO4UHC isn’t only focused on lobbying they also provide direct support to their cause. Wright explained “We work with several other organizations as part of the Alliance for Colorado Health Care. Together we will work to fundraise the $750,000 that is needed though SB25-45 to pay for the analysis of the Colorado School of Public Health.” This funding is critical because it will provide the data-driven foundation necessary to design effective, evidence-based universal health care legislation for Colorado.

Right now, CO4UHC believes the biggest barrier to changing the health care system is the misconception that socialized medicine would limit care or freedom. “In fact, it’s just the opposite,” Wright told Yellow Scene.

“When everyone can access care regardless of where they work […], the system is much simpler and more cost effective.”