As I visit communities across our state, Coloradans consistently tell me that one of their top concerns is the rising cost of health care. Families and small businesses are being crushed by skyrocketing costs, and - if they have health insurance at all - they're struggling to keep up with co-pays and deductibles. Too many Coloradans are skipping doctors' appointments altogether because they can't afford the payments. Others are frustrated by health insurance plans that cut back on coverage or drop people for getting sick.

And it isn't just patients who are experiencing the problems. Doctors and nurses across the state tell me that crowded emergency rooms, government over-regulation, wage issues, and a shortage of doctors, nurses and other health care workers all are contributing to the problems within our health care system.

The problems Coloradans experience are felt by all Americans, and they are the reason I was so determined to pass meaningful health insurance reform. I believe all Americans deserve the security and stability of affordable, quality health care, and I look forward to the challenge ahead of successfully implementing the health reform law, which we approved in March 2010 - the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. If our top priority is to fix the economy and create more jobs, health insurance reform has to be part of the solution, and I believe this new law, if implemented correctly, can help us get there.

Health reform also needs to work in tandem with ongoing initiatives and issue areas that continue to be a priority for me and for Colorado:

Health Care in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, signed into law in February, 2009, contains provisions to expand quality improvement measures emphasizing prevention, primary care, early diagnosis, chronic disease management, and a more robust health information technology system. The law includes $1 billion in funding for prevention and wellness programs and $19 billion toward expanding health information technology and the use of electronic health records nationwide. Electronic medical records and electronic prescribing, in particular, can lead to lower costs and better coordinated care - reducing errors, and saving lives. This funding will continue to help doctors, hospitals, and other health care professionals make dramatic improvements in the way they treat patients.

Health Care Access for Children and Families

Throughout my congressional career, I have been a strong supporter of expanding health care options for children and families. In 2009, we took strong steps toward helping low-income families and children access health care. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provided assistance to help states keep up with increasing demand for Medicaid and other government-supported health care programs, enabling uninsured families to continue to access health care. Medicaid enrollment has been steadily rising as workers lose their jobs and their health insurance. And many states, already facing budget shortfalls, were struggling to keep up with the need. The package also provided $2 billion in funding for community health centers across the nation, which are a critical part of Colorado's health care safety net.

I was also proud to cast a vote to strengthen and expand the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and ensure 11 million low-income children can see a doctor when they need one. In Colorado, this expansion helped to cover thousands more children through the Child Health Plan Plus program.

Health Care for Seniors

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act takes great strides to strengthen and reform Medicare, the government's health insurance system for seniors and people with disabilities. In part, the new law will extend the solvency of the program by nearly a decade and work to close the Medicare Part D "coverage gap" to lower prescription drug costs.

While health reform will be beneficial to the health and security of our nation's seniors, much remains to be addressed. And, as a member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, I will continue to fight to eliminate barriers that prevent patients from getting care and increasing access to affordable long-term care services and supports.

Rural Health Care

One serious barrier to receiving health care is geography. Many rural Coloradans live hours away from the nearest doctor or hospital. Rural communities often struggle to recruit and retain quality health care providers, and they have a high number of citizens who don't have insurance or can't afford health care. In fact, of Colorado's 47 rural counties, all but three are designated by the federal government as "health professional shortage areas" or "medically underserved areas." I'm fighting to ensure rural communities in Colorado, and across the country, have access to quality, affordable health care. As part of this effort, I introduced the Rural Physician Pipeline Act of 2009 (S. 1628), which I successfully got included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act as an amendment. Its provisions are designed to expand training programs across the country with the goal of increasing the number of doctors practicing in rural America. We also need to work toward increasing Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement rates for rural providers, assisting with school loan-repayment burdens, and strengthening critical access hospitals and rural clinics.

Throughout the debate on health insurance reform, I advocated for these and other improvements. I was pleased to see that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which was signed into law on March 23, 2010, incorporated several of my proposals for addressing the unique health care challenges faced by rural Americans, in addition to the provisions from the Rural Physicians Pipeline Act. Moving forward, I will continue to ensure that rural Colorado has a strong voice in Washington, D.C.

Supporting Life-Saving Biomedical Research

I have long been a strong supporter of the National Institutes of Health and research institutions in Colorado and throughout the nation. Medical research into treatments and cures for diseases and conditions are the keys to - not only improving and saving lives - but reducing health care costs for all Americans. That is one reason I strongly supported the inclusion of $10 billion in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to bolster research efforts and create health care jobs. And as your U.S. Senator, I will continue working to strengthen our nation's research community, which in turn will help Colorado's economy.