Colorado Puts Single-Payer Healthcare On 2016 Ballot

The idea of single‒payer healthcare in the U.S. has been circulating for decades ‒ and states like Vermont have tried recently to implement their own version ‒ but failed. At the time of its defeat, Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin put the blame squarely on the cost.

“It is not the right time for Vermont” to pass a single-payer system, Shumlin acknowledged in a public statement ending his signature initiative. He concluded the 11.5% payroll assessments on businesses and sliding premiums up to 9.5% of individuals’ income “might hurt our economy.” Why single payer died in Vermont – Politico

In an interesting development announced earlier today, the Colorado secretary of state certified the 100,000 signatures needed to get the initiative on the 2016 ballot.

They needed 98,492 valid signatures to put a state-governed healthcare system to a vote. After reviewing a 5% sample of the 158,831 signatures submitted, the secretary of state projected that the valid total would be 110 percent of the number required — and certified that Initiative 20, the “State Health Care System,” will be on the 2016 ballot. Denver Post