Health Care Exchanges – PART 19 >>> The Colorado Exchange: Made to Line Some Pockets (But Not Yours)

This is Part 19 in my series about ObamaCare health care exchanges. For the facts on exchanges, be sure to read the entire series here.

Health care exchanges are simply this: State-level bureaucracies that ObamaCare must coerce into existence. Without exchanges, there is no ObamaCare implementation. With exchanges,the federal government has the hands it needs to meddle into and control the health care of every American citizen. 

 

Let’s get caught up…

 

JUNE 29, 2011 – Colorado Governor Hickenlooper Announces the 9 Insurance-Related Appointees to the Health Care Exchange Board and Says They’re NOT Affiliated with the Insurance Industry  – WHAT???

From the Governor’s website, Hickenlooper writes:

“The exchange will be governed by nine board members of whom the majority will be individuals and business representatives who are not directly affiliated with the insurance industry.”

Then he lists the appointees who are directly affiliated with the insurance industry, of which there are at least 6 (links highlighted in red):

  • Richard T. Betts of Telluride, with a term to expire 2013. Betts is the owner, ASAP Accounting & Payroll, Inc.
  • Eric Grossman of Englewood, with a term to expire 2013. Grossman is a vice president of TriZetto[a health care technology solutions provider].
  • Robert S. Ruiz-Moss of Lone Tree, with a term to expire 2013. Ruiz-Moss is the Market Segment Lead of Anthem Blue Cross [actually he’s with Wellpoint – read his bio and vested interest in exchanges across the nation on this event invitation].
  • Elizabeth Soberg of Centennial, with a term to expire 2013. Soberg is the chief executive officer of UnitedHealthcare of Colorado.
  • Gretchen Hammer of Denver, with a term to expire 2015. Hammer is the executive director for the Colorado Coalition for the Medically Underserved.
  • Stephen ErkenBrack of Grand Junction, with a term to expire 2015. ErkenBrack is the president of Rocky Mountain Health Plan.
  • Arnold Salazar of Alamosa, with a term to expire 2015. Salazar is the executive director of Colorado Health Partnerships, LLC.
  • Nathan Wilkes of Arapahoe, with a term to expire 2015. Wilkes is the founder and principal consultant, Headstorms, Inc.  [Mr. Wilkes really likes ObamaCare]
  • Dr. Michael Fallon of Denver, with a term to expire 2015. Fallon is an emergency room physician.

Talk about a word game.  Whom does our Governor think he’s fooling?

AUGUST 19, 2011 – Hickenlooper Says Exchanges Won’t be Political Issue

From a Colorado Statesman article dated 8/19/11, here’s what Hickenlooper says about the “apolitical” nature of exchanges:

“Not everywhere, but in many parts of our community, there is this persuasion that this is a political issue, that this is going to divide us on whether we’re Republicans or Democrats,” Hickenlooper told an audience inside the auditorium of the North Middle School Health Sciences & Technology Campus. “But I think that this framework is exactly the opposite. It allows us a legitimate opportunity to define not just health care exchanges, but the issue around health care, and truly in an apolitical way.”

Yeah, right.  Nothing political about this board.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2011 – Exchange Board Proposes Lucrative Salaries for Exchange Employees

This will pop your top.

The Pueblo Chieftain is the first to break the news about the “eye-popping” salaries proposed for the Colorado health care exchange.  See article here.

Want all the proposed salaries in full spreadsheet detail?  Here is the Budget for Colorado Level One Exchange Grant, from Colorado Health Institute.  Every salary is listed, along with benefits.   Here’s a sampling of the Exchange employees’ yearly salaries:

  • Chief Executive Officer:  $204,000
  • Chief Financial, Operating, & Communications Officers:  $165,600 (each)
According to the Chieftain, the exchange:
“… would create 24 positions and pay those employees a total of more than $3 million annually to manage the health care cooperative … [and the Communications Officer position would earn] just $7,200 less than the White House director of communications.”
Those are nice chunks of taxpayer change implementing ObamaCare in Colorado.

Wow… Now THAT Lines Some Pockets

When I heard Colorado State Representative House Majority Leader Amy Stephens say she had to please “other constituents” besides the voters in her district, she wasn’t kidding.

Michelle Morin is a conservative blogger, speaker, and patriot for freedom and America’s founding principles. Join her for valuable freedom updates here.

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