On Saturday, January 24, 2009, PICO affiliate Metro Organizations for People (MOP) held a day-long health care training for 70 youth and adult leaders who came from 20 congregations and schools located across the Denver metro area.

During the training, MOP community leaders shared their own stories with the health care system and looked at specific campaigns at the local, state and national level to fix the health care system.  Cody Belzley, Governor Ritter's Senior Policy Analyst for Health Care, also presented the Governor's proposal to raise $1.2 billion that would cover 200,000 uninsured adults and children and increase provider reimbursement rates to cover their costs and thus expand access to quality care.  MOP leaders expressed enthusiasm for this plan and pledged to build support in the Legislature and among the public.    

MOP leaders also used the training to celebrate 2008 substantial state gains to reduce barriers and to enroll more previously uninsured children in state programs and the likely imminent passage at the federal level of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).  However, taking nothing for granted, people committed to place hundreds of calls to new Colorado Senators Michael Bennett and Mark Udall, urging quick passage of SCHIP and the elimination of the five-year waiting period for documented immigrant children. 

On February 23, dozens of MOP community leaders will go to the State Capitol to lobby on state health care policy.  In March, MOP is planning a large town hall meeting focused on issues affecting Colorado residents affected by the economic downturn, including health care, education, payday lending, and in-state tuition for documented immigrant children.

For more information on Metro Organizations for People, visit www.mopdenver.org