State Sen. Irene Aguilar stopped by the Summit County Community and Senior Center Friday night to discuss the problems she sees with the nation’s current health care system, and her vision for a Colorado health care cooperative.
Aguilar, a primary care physician for over 20 years, became a senator because as a doctor, “no one would listen to me.” She’s looking to “change the game” regarding health care in Colorado, and with a member-owned cooperative, Aguilar says all residents would have access to affordable, quality health care, with fair reimbursements to providers.
“Most people don’t have health insurance because it’s expensive,” Aguilar said. The average annual premium for a family is $15,000, while half of the United States’ population earns $42,000 or less. In 2010, 49.9 million Americans were uninsured, she told the crowd of about 20 people.
“It’s just become fiscally impossible for families to buy it,” Aguilar said. “People are making choices: Do I go to the doctor, or do I wait it out … that’s part of why health insurance is so expensive.”
In this article
Join the Conversation