Colorado Revised Statutes Title 10. Insurance § 10-16-1102. Legislative declaration

(a) All Coloradans deserve access to high-quality, affordable health care to help support their well-being and economic security;

(b) Increasing costs of health care in Colorado have led to premium increases for health insurance in the individual market that have created a financial burden for some Coloradans purchasing insurance in the individual market;

(c) That burden is heightened in rural areas of the state, where premiums are considerably higher than in metropolitan areas of the state and there is a lack of competition among health-care providers and carriers;

(d) Because of the financial burden high-cost health insurance places on consumers in rural areas, a considerable number of these cost-burdened consumers may not purchase health insurance, exacerbating the problems of few carriers, few plan options, and high health insurance costs in rural regions, as well as increasing the number of uninsured Coloradans; and

(e) Colorado has historically been a national leader in health-care innovation, and it is important to use that innovative spirit to address the rising costs of health care in the state by directing the commissioner of insurance to create a reinsurance program that will: