Colorado Researchers to Study Universal Health Care as Residents Face $1 Billion in Medical Debt

The study aims to provide answers about a single-payer system that residents did not have when they voted down Amendment 69 in 2016.

Published on Feb. 17, 2026

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Colorado residents owe about $1 billion in medical debt, a small portion of the nation's estimated $220 billion in medical debt. As more people are expected to lose their health insurance following planned Medicaid cuts in 2027, the Colorado School of Public Health is starting work on a study to analyze how the state could set up a single-payer health insurance program that would be run at the state level.

Why it matters

A statewide single-payer health care system could simplify the complicated private insurance system and ensure all state residents have coverage, addressing the growing medical debt crisis in Colorado and providing a potential model for other states.

The details

The Colorado legislature mandated the study last year but did not fund it. The Colorado Foundation for Universal Health Care announced it helped raise $740,000 for the Colorado School of Public Health to conduct the study, which is expected to provide answers about a single-payer system that residents did not have when they voted down Amendment 69 in 2016.

  • The Colorado legislature mandated the study last year.
  • Planned cuts and changes to Medicaid are expected in January 2027.

The players

Colorado School of Public Health

The institution conducting the study on a statewide single-payer health insurance program.

Colorado Foundation for Universal Health Care

The organization that helped raise $740,000 to fund the study on a single-payer system.

Marsha Thorson

A board member with the Colorado Foundation for Universal Health Care who also helped her husband found and run his private family medical practice.

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What they’re saying

“It would be simple. It would be fair.”

— Marsha Thorson, Board member, Colorado Foundation for Universal Health Care

The takeaway

This study could provide a roadmap for Colorado to address its growing medical debt crisis and serve as a model for other states looking to implement a single-payer health care system that simplifies coverage and ensures all residents have access to affordable care.