HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) – With the war in Ukraine raging, an estimated 7.5 million Ukrainians have been displaced. Over the past year, Church World Service Harrisonburg has helped 166 Ukrainians resettle in the Shenandoah Valley.

“We’ve actually helped them by matching them with English tutors, and we’ve signed some of them up for some of our extended services. We have a health care career path program and we have involved people in it. We enrolled all school-age children in public school, and then about 70 percent of adults are in English classes,” said Emily Bender, development and communications coordinator for CWS Harrisonburg.

CWS has a Ukrainian-speaking social worker who has worked to connect Ukrainian refugees to the organization, but it has been a bit more difficult because Ukrainians enter the United States through humanitarian parole, which is a pathway different from most refugees. This is a temporary legal status that lasts two years.

“We are actually trying to raise awareness at this time as there may be others who are not yet logged into our office who are eligible for our services so we would like to let people know that we are able to help people with this humanitarian parole status,” Bender said.

It’s been a busy year for CWS. The organization has increased its staff by 170% since last year and added several new programs.

“Helping with employment and English, and coding classes for girls, and many programs for young people, and we are working on mental health and well-being programs. The Healthcare Career Pathway program is something we’re really proud of. Our advocacy team also lobbied at the state level to pass a bill to remove barriers to labor market participation for immigrants and refugees,” Bender said.

CWS has also joined a nationwide program to help unaccompanied children seeking refuge in the United States, the majority of whom come from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

Other programs implemented by the SCF include services for elderly refugees, a youth mentorship program, a substance abuse prevention program, and a domestic violence prevention program.

The organization has also opened a sub-office in Winchester which has already helped resettle 101 refugees, including 70 from Afghanistan.

“We know the Shenandoah Valley is a place of welcome and hospitality, but it requires us all to work together because the resettlement system is still vulnerable, that’s just the reality of the situation,” Bender said. .

Bender thanked the community for all they do to support the SCF both financially and through volunteer work. She said the global need for refugee resettlement is great.

“The vast majority of refugees around the world will not be resettled. So as these displacement numbers increase, we’re looking at more and more people who are in pretty desperate situations and haven’t been able to find a place of safety. So we’re really proud of our programs and we’re happy when people can travel to the United States,” she said.

The SCF welcomed 356 new arrivals last year, compared to only 50 the previous year. It says the global number of displaced people is now 103 million, up from 84 million last year.

Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved.

A new collaboration aims to address staffing shortages in rural hospitals and clinics.

CHI Health and Creighton University will train the next generation of physicians using hybrid residency programs.

These one-of-a-kind residency programs will give medical students the chance to immerse themselves in rural health care. The hope is that they will consider staying there with some experience.

“You go to any small town in the country, any rural area, and they’ll tell you they desperately need primary care doctors and they desperately need psychiatry,” Dr. Cary Ward, Chief Medical Officer of CHI Health. .

CHI Health and Creighton’s School of Medicine are trying to meet this challenge head-on.

The two new programs will expose students to urban and rural health care in Nebraska. Students will spend half of their training at University Medical Center Bergan Mercy in Omaha and another half at CHI Health Good Samaritan in Kearney.

“It’s really been shown that where residents and fellows complete their training, they’re much more likely to stay there,” said Dr. Joann Porter, associate dean for graduate medical education at Creighton.

“Hoping that they’ll stay in those communities once they’ve finished those programs. And then being able to deal with not only people like in Kearney, for example, but Kearney covers a lot of the communities that l ‘surround,” Ward said.

Thirty-four percent of Nebraskans live in rural areas, which is higher than the national average. These residents tend to see more deaths from cancer, lung disease and stroke than city dwellers.

Traditionally, most medical training takes place in urban areas. But the new federal funding is part of why the two organizations are able to offer these programs now.

“Congress passed an appropriations act that expanded funding for residencies and fellows for the first time since 1996 for areas of need,” Porter said.

Hybrid programs in internal medicine and psychiatry are already open to applicants. The first students will be selected by March next year with a program start date of late next summer.

“I am thrilled to bring our excellent training programs in internal medicine and psychiatry,” Porter said. “Our residents will benefit from learning from some of the best doctors in these communities and the community will benefit from attracting more ‘local’ doctors to stay and practice. This will be a great synergy and help one of the biggest disparities in healthcare in Nebraska and Iowa.”

Laurie Garrett, UCSC alumnus, award-winning science writer and best-selling author, discussed the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, the national and global response to the pandemic, and the implications for future infectious disease outbreaks at a public lecture at the Hay Barn on Thursday 10 November.

Known for her deep knowledge of emerging diseases and public health, Garrett said she has become “deeply angry and disappointed with what has happened with COVID, not just in our country but around the world.” She went on to describe many missed opportunities to better control the pandemic and limit its impact, which, she said, “I fear it will be missed again with the next microbe and the next – and believe me, there will be a next, and a next, and a next.

Garrett’s books include The plague to come: emerging diseases in a world out of balance (1994), Betrayal of Trust: The Collapse of Global Public Health (2000), and I Heard the Sirens Cry: How Americans Responded to the 9/11 Attacks and Anthrax (2011). She received the Pulitzer Prize, the Peabody Prize and the Polk Prize (twice) for her work.

Chancellor Cynthia Larive introduced Garrett, noting that “his work reflects our deep, campus-wide commitment to social justice, science, truth, and community engagement, and his association with UC Santa Cruz is a a source of pride for me and for our campus”.

The event was sponsored by UCSC’s Global and Community Health Program. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt people’s lives and the global economy, the need for strong local, national and global public health programs has never been more evident.

In his remarks, Garrett pointed to the devastating economic toll of the pandemic.

“They are now calling it the $16 trillion virus,” she said, referring to an estimate of the full cost of the pandemic by economists David Cutler and Lawrence Summers, published in the medical journal JAMA in 2020.

Could this have been avoided? Garrett outlined two possible scenarios for responding to COVID which she presented in April 2020 to heads of UN agencies. In the first scenario, she said, “the rich world takes care of itself” and vaccines are rolled out in rich countries first (which is essentially what happened). The uncontrolled circulation of the virus in unvaccinated populations would allow it to evolve, and new emerging strains would go back and forth between the northern hemisphere and the southern hemisphere. The result, she told them, would be “a permanent burden on the UN system, just like with HIV”.

The alternative scenario, Garrett said, would require effective disease surveillance and vaccination on a global scale. She described the technologies and policies needed to achieve this, including point-of-care diagnostic tools; universal and transparent access to information and data on infections and vaccination rates; an effective vaccine to block transmission and at an affordable price; funding to establish vaccine distribution infrastructure; identification of animals carrying the virus and closure of live animal markets; environmental monitoring to detect the virus; and effective communications to counter misinformation.

This second scenario of a global response to control the virus would also require the collaboration of China and the United States, and the UN leadership told him that was unlikely to happen, Garrett said. The problem, she said, is that “we lack any global governance that can protect human health.”

Garrett ended his prepared remarks by reiterating his call for an environmental surveillance system to detect emerging diseases. “We need a permanent, long-term way to know what’s going on in our environment,” she said.

Garrett was then joined on stage by two of the leading professors of global and community health, Assistant Professor of Sociology Alicia Riley and Assistant Professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Valerie Cortez.

Riley, noting that Garrett “has been making these calls for an early warning system to detect emerging infection threats since her first book,” asked how her perspective had evolved as she lived through the emergence of new diseases. In her response, Garrett sounded discouraged.

“Where we are now, the CDC has lost its reputation, and our own credibility as the mouthpiece for disease control has been undermined by the fact that the United States has the highest death rate. to the world, and we seem unable to act in any way in solidarity as a nation to fight COVID,” she said. “At this point, when I say we have to be there to fund surveillance, I feel there is less listening now than 20 years ago.”

Cortez asked Garrett to address “what we as educators can do” to prepare students to address these issues so that our public health systems can be better prepared to handle future emerging diseases. Garrett noted that “the financial incentives are all in the wrong place” and funding for public health is woefully inadequate.

“The interest is there among the kids – they want to be out there doing something meaningful, and global health appeals to them,” she said. “The problem is knowing who is going to finance them. Schools of public health should teach kids about Policy 101 – how to bring a bill to your city council. They must become adept at advocating for sustainable funding that will allow them to achieve their goals.

Riley said it aligns well with the goals of UCSC’s interdisciplinary global and community health program, which aims to equip students with a broad range of knowledge and skills by bringing together faculty from a range of disciplines, from social sciences to biomedicine.

As Chancellor Larive said in her opening remarks, “our goal is to educate a new generation of health leaders and workers with expertise drawn from a wide range of disciplines and able to communicate and learn from each other through a diversity of perspectives. . Through this interdisciplinary training, we hope to contribute to the health of all the communities, global and local, in which our students will work in the future.

RIYADH: With its theme “Transformation of Generations”, this year’s Misk Global Forum aims to have an impact on a global scale by encouraging intergenerational conversations that can pave the way for positive change, according to a director of senior researcher at the Misk Foundation.

“’Generation Transformation’ is the idea and mindset that it’s not just one generation that is driving change, it’s actually everyone coming together; baby boomers, millennials, millennials, generation Z, are coming together to create meaningful and impactful change,” Amani Alkhiami told Arab News.

The two-day Misk Global Forum at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh, which concluded on Thursday, is the Misk Foundation’s flagship global event. Established in 2016, the forum brings together industry experts, new and established leaders, entrepreneurs and creators of all ages to discuss innovative ways to address the challenges associated with change.

Discussions at this year’s event have been described as a “multi-generational dialogue to break down barriers and inspire change”, on topics including embracing transformation, sport for all, gender equality , quality education, philanthropy, happiness and money.

“We are all responsible; we all have a seat in the car, driving change, but what we’re trying to do with Generation Transformation is put young people in the driver’s seat, pull and push for change and drive for the change with all the other generations, together,” Alkhiami said.

“We, as a younger generation, need to stop blaming older generations for the mistakes of the past, and instead help them and take their hands to really work together to build the future we want.”

She added that various activities designed to encourage and strengthen these intergenerational conversations and exchange of ideas will continue after the forum concludes.

This year’s event included skills labs with workshops and sessions to help young people develop their skills, expertise and talents.

“We have two skill labs and each skill lab hosts around 10 different workshops,” Alkhiami said. “We have topics (like) looking at things creatively, we have podcasting, we have things about computer design and coding and development, so there’s so much… different stuff and we’ve got it. ‘ve done by design, to make sure there’s a place for everyone.

A “Meet the Leader” initiative at this year’s forum was designed to give delegates the chance to hear and be inspired by the stories and first-hand experiences of people who are already making an impact.

“’Meet the Leader’ offers unique conversations with key leaders from our country, but also from around the world; listen to them and really learn from their wisdom in this generational dialogue,” Alkhiami said.

Another part of the forum, called Majlis, provided an opportunity for a more personal and intimate dialogue on topics such as mental health and well-being, and to understand your presence in real life and the virtual world.

“We also have the Founder’s Cafe, which examines business founders, entrepreneurs, how to start and how to grow, and how to go from idea to activation to actually build your business,” Alkhiami said.

The Misk Global Forum also offered career clinics open to all attendees wishing to discuss ways to develop or expand their careers.

“Our career clinics are really a ‘module’ for people who need support to understand where they can go in life,” Alkhiami said. “They can bring their resume and sit down with a career coach to help them figure out where they need to go.”

All initiatives and sessions were designed to help pave the way for positive change through intergenerational conversations and the sharing of expertise, wisdom and insights, she added.

“The fact that young people come together to dialogue, network and listen and become better listeners and better active agents of change is in itself the result of this forum,” said Alkhiami.

“We really looked at the global conversations around the world, the issues facing young people today, and the biggest issue was that the generations weren’t talking to each other and each generation was blaming the other generations for what they had said.”

Find an updated number of COVID-19 cases in California and by county on our tracker here.

Latest updates

COVID-era safety net programs have helped lower California’s poverty rate

Yolo County health officials say not enough residents vaccinated against omicron subvariant

Two California public health experts say a surge of COVID-19 could be coming soon

Former Connecticut lawmaker pleads guilty to stealing $1.2 million in COVID-19 aid

Afraid of needles? China uses inhalable COVID-19 vaccine

COVID-19 in numbers

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12:58 p.m.: Two California public health experts say a surge of COVID-19 could be coming soon

Dr. Robert Wachter, chairman of the department of medicine at UC San Francisco, and Dr. Erica Pan, epidemiologist for the state of California, seem confident that a next surge of COVID-19 is likely this winter.

“Winter will drive people indoors,” Wachter said. “There are these new variants coming out that are at least somewhat immune evasive.”

Both cited that the long COVID is still a big concern as well as getting reminders, especially for older and younger Californians.

“It’s those kinds of extreme ages that are at risk for more severe disease,” Pan said. “I want to emphasize to all parents or grandparents, encourage your families to have your children vaccinated.

Learn more here.

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12:02 p.m .: Workers reportedly leave Apple product factory amid COVID-19 curbs

Workers at a manufacturing plant in central China’s Zhengzhou city appear to have left to avoid COVID-19 restrictions.

Many were traveling on foot days after an unknown number of workers at the Foxconn factory – the factory that makes Apple products – were quarantined at the facility following an outbreak of the virus.

According to The Associated Press, videos on Chinese social media platforms show suspected Foxconn workers scaling fences and carrying their belongings on foot down the road.

The Foxconn factory in Zhengzhou is one of the largest factories in China that assembles Apple products, including its latest iPhone 14 devices.

Cities surrounding Zhengzhou have called on Foxconn workers to report their return in advance so they can undergo appropriate isolation measures.

Find older coronavirus updates on our previous blog page here.

JOLIET — Today, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14) joined President Joe Biden at Jones Elementary School in Joliet, Illinois to discuss their work to protect Social Security and the health insurance and reduce the cost of health care and prescription drugs.

“Medicare and social security belong to all of us”, Underwood said. “As a result, these are programs that generations of Americans have relied on for retirement security, health care, and a life based on dignity and respect. And they deserve to be defended, strengthened and protected for generations to come.

Underwood and President Biden also highlighted their work to make health care affordable and accessible to millions of Americans through the Cut Inflation Act. Cut Inflation Act extends tax credits from Underwood’s flagship legislation, the Health Care Affordability Act, and cuts health care costs by an average of $2,400 per year for a family of four. Learn more about the Health Care Affordability Act here.

Joining Underwood and President Biden were Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Underwood Constituent Audree Hall.

“I am forever grateful to Rep. Underwood and President Biden. I know they will protect Social Security and Medicare for families who rely on these programs – just as they protected health care for me and my family at a time when we needed it most,” said Hall.

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University of Nevada, Reno Extension has hired Elika Nematian in a newly created position to work with other extension professionals to help assess the needs of Southern Nevada communities and pilot, implement and evaluate initiatives to promote good health and good nutrition.

As the Clark County Health and Nutrition Outreach Educator, Nematian will help provide health and nutrition resources and education to community members of all ages. It also aims to adapt programs to meet the needs of specific neighborhoods and zip codes, and to expand program reach.

“We are looking for innovative ways to best share our resources and expertise with the Clark County community and stakeholders,” Nematian said. “When we provide resources, we really want to take a systems approach to improving the health of the communities in which we work.”

As Nematian strives to determine the best courses of action to develop new programs and resources, it is also determined to ensure that established successful initiatives continue to be supported. This includes the Healthy Kids Festival, which celebrated its 10th anniversary last September. During the event, Extension and other local health, nutrition and physical activity experts present activities and share available resources aimed at improving healthy everyday living.

Nematian has extensive experience in the fields of health, nutrition and extension. Throughout her career, she has developed and piloted community nutrition programs; provided statewide training and technical assistance; written and managed government grants; and advocated for policies to promote good health, nutrition, and food security at the local and federal levels.

Nematian previously worked with Extension in Clark County for six years, so she understands the importance of evidence-based programming when it comes to serving the Nevada community, and she’s thrilled to be back. . During this time, she worked as a community instructor delivering nutrition education programs. Later, as a program officer, she piloted new nutrition education and physical activity programs for seniors.

Going forward, Nematian says she puts a strong emphasis on collaboration. This includes working with other extension professionals, as well as continuing to strengthen new and existing partnerships with community members.

Houston’s first nonprofit health care facility for African Americans is being renovated after it closed in 2015.

Houston Negro Hospital opened in 1926, providing qualified doctors to work and provide care to African Americans and their families. In 1961 the name was changed to what is now Riverside General Hospital in the third quarter.

Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, Mayor Sylvester Turner, Qatar Harvey Fund officials and health experts unveiled the building sign as Phase 1 of renovations begin next year. Renovations include the hospital building, the nursing school building which opened in 1931, and the laundry building. A new adjacent building will be added later.

Four years ago, Harris County Commissioners agreed to invest in reopening the facility which will now house Harris County Public Health, other vital services and the headquarters of Access to Managed Care and Building Self-Sufficiency (ACCESS) Harris County – an integrated care coordination model that aims to improve outcomes for vulnerable people.

“I am grateful to know that soon this legacy of care will endure now and continue into the future,” said Commissioner Rodney Ellis, born at Riverside General Hospital. “Because of our city and county’s efforts to successfully purchase and invest in revitalization efforts.”

Ellis said working with the county and city will help ensure equal health care for all.

“Working with the city, we will try to do everything humanly possible to end these disparities,” he said. “All of this will largely happen right here, where many of the county’s safety net and public health programs will be under one roof at this site.”

The services that will be offered at the site are dental care, childhood vaccinations, flu shots, obesity reduction, asthma management, diabetes prevention, women’s infants and children, WIC program services, maternal and child health, and more.

Mayor Turner said that when the hospital was operating, it provided health care to those who needed it.

“I will tell you that when this hospital was functioning, it provided incredible services to the people who needed it the most, the most vulnerable,” he said. “When the doors closed, the city of Houston, and not just Third Ward, felt its impact.”

Turner said the reopening of Riverside Hospital will bring much-needed services to the Third Ward community.

“I am grateful for the vision and partnership with Commissioner Ellis and the Harris County Court of Commissioners and the generosity of the Houston Endowment and Qatar Fund,” he said. “The Commissioners Court’s decision four years ago to invest in the reopening of the historic Riverside General Hospital was a life-saving decision for this community.”

To help defray the cost of the project, Houston Endowment donated $5.3 million to purchase the property and the Qatar Harvey Fund (QHF) donated $2.5 million. In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, the State of Qatar created the QHF to administer $30 million to support the long-term recovery of Southeast Texas.

The Honorable Rashid bin Abdulla Al Dehaimi is the Consul General of the State of Qatar in Houston. He said the State of Qatar and Texas have worked together for many years and he wants to continue to find ways to work with Texas.

“Qatar supports this community project because our partnership and friendship in Texas goes back many years in business, education and cultural exchange,” he said. “[The] The Qatar Harvey Fund is a symbol of the close bond between Texas and the State of Qatar and to fill our continued friendship now or for many years to come.”

In 2019, the Qatar Harvey Fund donated over $4 million to renovate the historic Blue Triangle center in the Third Ward after damage from Hurricane Harvey.

Although construction costs are already being funded, Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis says money for the actual operation is still dependent on the county budget.

“Later, when the next budget cycle comes around and this building is finished, we will need to have funds available to hire people to provide these services.

The project is expected to be completed in 2025.

PADUCAH — The multimillion-dollar fundraising campaign for West Kentucky Community and Technical College (WKCTC) health care education programs surpassed its $3 million goal set a year ago, according to a statement from the WKCTC.

A ceremonial check was revealed at the Paducah Junior College (PJC) closing event with the total amount contributed: $3,607,883.58.

The check included contributions from 75 donors and matching funds from PJC and the Kentucky Community and Technical College System for a portion of the money raised.

PJC is the charitable foundation of WKCTC.

Lee Emmons, WKCTC vice president for institutional advancement and executive director of PJC, said the college embarked on the campaign nearly three years ago, with the public phase announced in October 2021. The phase public campaign ended on October 27.

Funds raised through the HealthCare COUNTS campaign will primarily fund a Workplace Health Education Endowment to ensure sustainable operational support for the college’s health education programs, according to the release.

Contributions will help PJC and WKCTC meet current and growing needs for nursing and allied health professionals. There are currently 30,000 open positions statewide for registered nurses, 8,000 for licensed practical nurses and at least 26,000 for allied health professionals, such as dental assistants, diagnostic medical sonographers, lab technicians medical, radiographers and more – all programs offered at WKCTC, depending on The Version.

There are also at least 1,700 open positions for nurses in Western Kentucky, according to the job report. The need is expected to increase, in part due to Kentucky’s aging population and COVID-19.

Shari Gholson, WKCTC Dean of Nursing and Allied Health, said the allied health and nursing programs have higher program completion rates and licensing/certification pass rates than the national average and the majority of programs have consistently placement rates of 100%.

Second-year radiography student Loren Carver shared her experiences at the WKCTC. After a setback in the x-ray program in 2020, Carver reapplied and was accepted in May 2021 and said she was working to ensure she had enough money saved to focus on completing. from the program. She hopes to graduate in May 2023.

“All of my hard work paid off and I couldn’t wait to start this new chapter in my life,” Carver said. “I would not have had the opportunity to pursue a career in radiography without the West Kentucky program.”

All 75 donors to the HealthCare COUNTS campaign were listed in the program and were recognized throughout the evening, receiving awards for their initial and ongoing support.

Emmons said some of the campaign donors have designated gifts for immediate use.

Donors include 13 who have made large donations between $25,000 and $200,000 and whose names will be placed on name plaques outside a classroom, lab or other location in the Allied Health Building and 35 who have contributed at least $1,000 and will be recognized on a wall of donor appreciation, along with the other 13 donors, to be constructed in early 2023 inside the main entrance of the Allied Health Building.

To donate to the Healthcare Education-to-Work Endowment Fund, go to westkentucky.kctcs.edu/Giving.

Colorado residents who buy their health insurance through the state stock exchange — not through an employer — will see their rates rise by 10.4% next year. Rates will increase by 7.4% for small employers with up to 100 employees.

The Colorado Division of Insurance announced final rates for 2023 on Tuesday. Open enrollment runs from November 1 through January 15, 2023.

Consumers now have the ability for the first time to purchase a plan through the Colorado Option, a quasi-public health insurance program that has been a priority of Governor Jared Polis’ administration.

The program “provides participants with a better understanding of what they are paying for and prioritizes mental and physical well-being intended to better support total well-being,” said Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera, who also leads the Office. to save people money on health care.

The administration has touted what it calls “innovative programs,” created with state lawmakers, that can save $326 million statewide on individual health insurance plans for next year. . This includes the state’s reinsurance program, which helps insure insurers, the Colorado Option, and the Division of Insurance’s rate review process. He said the programs “result in substantial savings”.

A consumer health group said rural consumers will generally face higher increases. He noted that the increases followed Bright Health’s exit from the market, which means around 55,000 Coloradans will need to change their insurance plans.

“After several years of fairly stable health insurance prices, consumers in Colorado are going to feel these increases, especially in rural areas,” said Mannat Singh, executive director of the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative. “Insurers and hospitals are not trying hard enough to meet the reductions required for some Colorado Option plans, but rather are setting a baseline for not meeting targets without reasonable justification.”

More than 300 plans in the state

According to the state’s insurance division, there will be 337 individual plans available statewide. This will include plans offered through the Colorado option, in bronze, silver, and gold metal tiers. Plans are roughly evenly split between those available through Connect for Health Colorado, the state’s health insurance exchange, and those sold directly by insurance companies. Subsidies to make insurance more affordable are only available when signing up through the exchange.

Six companies will offer individual plans for 2023: Anthem (as a Colorado HMO), Cigna, Denver Health, Friday Health, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Colorado, and Rocky Mountain HMO.

All but one county in rural Colorado (Jackson, which borders Wyoming) has multiple companies offering exchange plans, the division said.

Eleven companies will sell nearly 500 small group health plans, including 48 Colorado Option plans. This category concerns employers with up to 100 workers.

Pushing back on Colorado option plans

A group representing insurers says the new landscape means fewer carriers offering plans, less competition and higher premiums.

The Colorado Association of Health Plans said in a statement that nearly all of the cheapest products on the individual market are not Colorado option plans, but the “non-standardized products designed by health insurance providers who continue to provide choice and affordability to Colorado consumers in an era of unprecedented inflation.

Decisions made by the Polis administration regarding the program “were fundamentally at odds with the stated goal of saving money on health care,” said Amanda Massey, the group’s executive director. “We fully support market-based policies that actually lower costs, but the outcome of Colorado’s first policy shows the administration chose politics over math.”

Another group opposed to the Polis administration’s plan called the new program “difficult”.

“Clearly they are trying to put a positive spin on the failure of this new government-controlled health insurance system,” Colorado’s Health Care Future said in a statement.

Aid and subsidies

The state said consumers can save money by shopping and noted that financial assistance through the federal inflation-reduction action means that more than four in five people who buy coverage through the The state exchange will be eligible for grants in 2023.

“I encourage everyone to visit Connect for Health Colorado to determine what financial assistance they may receive and to purchase the plans that meet their needs,” said Michael Conway, Colorado Insurance Commissioner.

This week, Humana notified local regulators and insurance brokers that they would be exiting the Employer Group’s medical business in Colorado. In a statement, the company said that included about 15,000 people employed in the Colorado Employer Groups Market.

Colorado Politics first reported the change.

Humana did not give a reason. He said the move would not affect health, dental, vision or life insurance plans. All affected plans will end by mid-2024.