Coronavirus Scuttles Public Option in Colorado in ‘Cruel Irony’

Sponsors of a lightning-rod public option bill in Colorado are scuttling the insurance measure this year because of the coronavirus pandemic and the economic upheaval it’s wreaking in the state.

It’s not feasible for health-care policy stakeholders to come to the table and negotiate on a proposal they are staunchly opposed to at a time when they are responding to the Covid-19 public health crisis, Sen. Kerry Donovan (D), one of the co-sponsors of the measure, said in a phone interview Tuesday.

Shelving the bill, introduced before the virus prompted the 2020 General Assembly to pause its session, will allow ...