Crowdpac: Could Colorado become the first single-payer healthcare state?

image
Published: 01 Aug, 2016
2 min read

After the Bernie Sanders campaign put single-payer healthcare in the national spotlight, it's no surprise that many of his supporters are continuing to carry the torch. An initiative proposing a single-payer healthcare plan, popularly known as ColoradoCare, was placed on the November ballot by a petition signed by over 150,000 people. If voted in, ColoradoCare would create a statewide health system supported by an increase in taxes as well as employer and employee contributions.

Pro-reform advocates, most prominently ColoradoCare. Yes, claim ColoradoCare would close significant gaps left open by the Affordable Care Act. Opponents, such as Coloradans for Coloradans, cite the estimated $25 billion price tag and fears that medical professionals would be deterred from practicing in the state. The debate over ColoradoCare has attracted Democrats to both sides, highlighting a deep divide between progressives and liberals.

But who exactly is backing each side of the proposition?

crowdpac-table

ColoradoCareYes is backed mostly by individuals, who are responsible for 92.6% of all the money raised this cycle. Coloradans for Coloradans, on the other hand, has raised 98% of its funds from organizations.

Here is the list of the top organizations fighting to oppose ColoradoCare. The list includes medical and pharmaceutical groups such as Pharma Research and DaVita, and several other pro-business advocacy groups.

jhxzl2l6reqbwmfcwvq9

And here is a breakdown of the individuals who are supporting ColoradoCare. Medical professionals and educators are among the top fields:

hfxdvxynnq9xuc65idol

IVP Donate

The division is extremely clear cut: individuals and small-dollar donors are powering ColoradoCare while businesses and organizations are leading the fight against it - illustrating the challenges of policies that impact regular people and corporations in different ways.

The result of the Colorado ballot vote has broader ramifications beyond the state. ColoradoCare is the first major test of the movement to mainstream single-payer healthcare. The notoriously purple state will serve as a litmus test of the feasibility of implementing single-payer healthcare, the outcome of which will shape the healthcare debate in elections to come.

Editor's note: This article originally published on Crowdpac's website on July 30, 2016.

Photo Credit: Christian Delbert / shutterstock.com

You Might Also Like

Why Mathematicians Love Ranked Choice Voting
Why Mathematicians Love Ranked Choice Voting
The Institute for Mathematics and Democracy (IMD) has released what may be the most comprehensive empirical study of ranked choice voting ever conducted. The 66-page report analyzes nearly 4,000 real-world ranked ballot elections, including some 2,000 political elections, and more than 60 million simulated ones to test how different voting methods perform....
11 Dec, 2025
-
4 min read
California flag
Quirk Silva’s Exit Sparks a High-Profile Orange County Clash, Where Independent Voters Control the Math
California’s 67th Assembly District stretches across parts of Orange and Los Angeles counties, connecting some of the region’s most dynamic and diverse suburban communities. It includes the entire cities of Cerritos, La Palma, Hawaiian Gardens, Artesia, Buena Park, and Cypress, as well as portions of Fullerton and Anaheim....
18 Dec, 2025
-
6 min read
Donald Trump
Trump Signs Order to Reclassify Cannabis to Schedule III
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Thursday that his administration will officially move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act, a decision that marks the most significant change to U.S. drug policy since the early 1970s....
18 Dec, 2025
-
2 min read