U.S. Senator Cory Gardner Agrees With Colorado Voters: Kids Are A Priority

AURORA, Colo., June 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A recent poll conducted by a leading Republican pollster finds a "universal belief" among Colorado voters across the political spectrum that regardless of what happens with the proposed healthcare bill, longstanding Medicaid benefits for children should be protected.

As the healthcare debate heats up, Children's Hospital Colorado (Children's Colorado) conducted a statewide public opinion survey to determine voters' views of different policy solutions. Key findings include:

    --  85% agree that "regardless of whether Obamacare [the Affordable Care Act
        (ACA)] is ultimately repealed or changed, Congress should maintain the
        longstanding benefits that Medicaid has guaranteed children since 1965"
    --  In total, 73% believe that:
        --  Colorado's senators should either vote against repealing and
            replacing Obamacare no matter what (36%); or
        --  Colorado's senators should vote to repeal and replace Obamacare only
            if the bill upholds longstanding Medicaid coverage for children and
            protections for pre-existing conditions (37%)
    --  More than half (55%) are extremely worried and 13% count themselves very
        worried that changes could result in loss of insurance for Colorado
        children with pre-existing conditions
    --  Nearly half (45%) are extremely worried and 15% are very worried that
        low-income children in Colorado could lose their insurance as a result
        of changes

Nationally, Medicaid covers 30 million kids, including about 590,000 in Colorado. While nationally children account for nearly half of Medicaid enrollees, they represent only 20 percent of the costs. Structural cuts to Medicaid in the proposed bill would fundamentally threaten access to care for those children.

"Senator Gardner has been a staunch advocate in this debate for kids," said Jena Hausmann, president and CEO of Children's Hospital Colorado. "We've asked Senator Gardner to step up and fight to protect Medicaid as a safety net for children in important ways. He has, and we are counting on him."

Children's Colorado publicly has expressed strong opposition to the House-passed version of the bill, and also opposes the Senate's discussion draft. The hospital is urging Colorado's U.S. Senators to make tangible improvements to the bill in order to reduce its negative impact on children. Senator Cory Gardner has started to get traction in the Senate with provisions that would limit the Medicaid cuts to children.

At Children's Colorado, nearly half of the patient population benefits from some form of Medicaid coverage. These aren't just low-income patients. They're also families with good primary insurance, but their child's medical needs are so severe or complex that they rely on Medicaid as secondary insurance to cover their child's care. Children were not the primary beneficiaries of the ACA, yet they would be major victims of its repeal.

Leaders across the political spectrum agree. A recent letter sent to Colorado's U.S. Senators and co-signed by a host of high-profile Republicans, Democrats, and business leaders says "whether the [Medicaid] expansion is preserved or phased-out, Medicaid for children should be protected regardless."

Survey Demographics
The poll was conducted by phone June 10-13, 2017, by Dave Sackett of the Tarrance Group, one of the most respected Republican polling firms in the country. The pool of 500 respondents represented a cross-section of likely 2018 voters across Colorado, including 33% Republicans, 33% Democrats, 29% Independents, and 6% other. Respondents were 87% non-Hispanic, 12% Hispanic, and 2% declined to answer. Respondents were 49% male and 51% female. About one in five (21%) had a child under the age of 18 in the household, while 76% did not. The age distribution of respondents was as follows:

    18-24                      8%

    25-29                      7%

    30-34                      6%

    35-39                      9%

    40-44                      5%

    45-54                     10%

    55-64                     20%

    65-69                     12%

    70-74                     11%

    75-79                      6%

    80-84                      4%

    85-89                      1%

    90 or over                 0%

    Hard refuse                1%

The margin of error associated with a sample of this type is +/- 4.5% in 95 out of 100 cases.

About Children's Hospital Colorado
Children's Hospital Colorado (Children's Colorado) has defined and delivered pediatric health care excellence for more than 100 years. Founded in 1908, Children's Colorado is a leading pediatric network entirely devoted to the health and well-being of children. Continually acknowledged as one of the nation's outstanding pediatric hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, Children's Colorado is known for both its nationally and internationally recognized medical, research, education and advocacy programs, as well as comprehensive everyday care for kids throughout Colorado and surrounding states. Children's Colorado is the winner of the 2015 American Hospital Association-McKesson Quest for Quality Prize, and is a 2013-2016 Most Wired hospital according to Hospitals & Health Networks magazine. Children's Colorado also is recognized for excellence in nursing from the American Nurses Credentialing Centers and has been designated a Magnet(®) hospital since 2005. The hospital's family-centered, collaborative approach combines the nation's top pediatric doctors, nurses and researchers to pioneer new approaches to pediatric medicine. With urgent, emergency and specialty care locations throughout Metro Denver and Southern Colorado, including its campus on the Anschutz Medical Campus, Children's Colorado provides a full spectrum of pediatric specialties. For more information, visit www.childrenscolorado.org and connect with Children's Colorado on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Children's Hospital Colorado complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.
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SOURCE Children's Hospital Colorado