by Mark Smiley | Jul 28, 2023 | Uncategorized
By Akilah Graham
The Colorado Option was
sold by politicians in Denver and other advocates on promises of increased savings. I, along with so many other Coloradans, waited anxiously as the new system was passed and implemented. Today, we’re still waiting and wondering: where are the Colorado Option savings?
I am troubled by what I’ve seen as the Colorado Option has been implemented. The State-backed health plan is failing to deliver the savings that were promised. But even more concerning, the Colorado Option is actually leading to increased costs and is decreasing access to the high quality coverage and care that Coloradans depend on. The Black community has long struggled to see or benefit from savings promised in our health care system. I never considered whether I’d have to ask if the Colorado Option is making things worse.
Industry experts recently conducted a study that shows non-Colorado Option plans are the most affordable for the vast majority of Coloradans. In fact, non-Colorado Option Plans are the lowest cost on-exchange plans in 60 of 64 counties for the bronze tier, and 54 of 64 counties for the important silver tier.
Not only is the Colorado Option failing to deliver savings, but it is also driving insurance providers out of the state. The Colorado Option employs premium reduction targets, which mandate that insurance providers reduce their premiums; in other words, price controls.
The 2023 premium reduction target was five percent, which 85 percent of Colorado Option Plans offered in the individual market failed to meet. Naturally, insurance providers and industry experts are concerned that even more providers will be unable to meet next year’s 10 percent reduction target.
Instead of trying to meet unrealistic price controls or pricing their plans at unsustainable losses, several prominent health insurance providers had to pack their bags and exit the state’s insurance marketplace. Insurance providers simply can’t afford to meet these reduction targets.
On top of the premium reduction targets, additional restrictions enforced by the Division of Insurance will make it nearly impossible to attract new health insurance providers to the state. And Colorado patients and consumers are the ones who will suffer from the lack of competition.
Like so many government-controlled health care systems, the Colorado Option is dependent on health care providers accepting reduced reimbursement rates for the care they give. But Colorado as a whole is already suffering from a terrible health care provider shortage. Disadvantaged and marginalized communities are feeling the effects the most. Lower reimbursement rates will force health care providers to choose between passing increased costs onto patients (who likely can’t afford it), or cutting high-cost services – and some will be forced to close altogether. It goes without saying that it will make it next to impossible to attract new doctors and other health care professionals to replace them. Any system that continues to drive provider shortages is bad news for Colorado patients.
The primary question – “where are the Colorado Option Savings?” – is only the first one that comes to mind; this year’s implementation now leaves us with many additional concerns. Instead of seeking to double down on the failed Colorado Option in 2024, lawmakers should take the time to study what went wrong, in an effort to determine how best to deliver high-quality, affordable coverage and care to Coloradans across our great and diverse state.
Ms. Graham is one of the founders of the Colorado Black Arts Festival and a leader in numerous community and religious organizations.
by Mark Smiley | Jul 20, 2023 | Travel
Old Hickory Steakhouse Now Open For Lunch
by Mark Smiley
Exterior Enhancements: A $22 million exterior enhancement project was completed in April 2023 at Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center.
Fireplace: A fireplace with an 8-foot-wide hearth is the focal point on Old Hickory Steakhouse’s new terrace. Guests of the resort and residents are welcome to dine at Old Hickory Steakhouse. Parking is validated by spending at least $50.
Event Space: The addition of an event lawn with 10,000-square-feet of artificial turf area, four fire pits, and two natural boulder fire features were part of a $22 million exterior enhancement project. Adjacent to the Grand Lodge lawn is a games lawn featuring artificial turf, family-friendly games such as bocce ball, corn hole, and giant chess, as well as three firepits where guests can roast s’mores.
Phase one of a $22 million exterior enhancement project was completed in April 2023 at Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in time for the summer months. With the indoor water park being closed for improvements, the outdoor development became increasingly more important. Ryman Hospitality Properties, which owns Gaylord Rockies Resort, purchased the adjacent 130 acres of land in 2021 and began planning for how to best utilize.
The project features an elevated arrival experience, a new games lawn complete with corn hole, bocce ball, and giant chess, expansion of the Grand Lodge lawn, new fire pits suitable for roasting marshmallows, and the addition of terraces to Old Hickory Steakhouse and Mountain Pass Sports Bar. The project also features more than 1,500 native and adaptive trees, 40,000 shrubs, groundcovers, perennials, and five acres of low water-use native grass mixes.
New Terrace: Old Hickory Steakhouse Terrace added an additional 96 seats to the restaurant by adding an outdoor terrace. They are now open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“The enhancements layer in a richness to the resort and create a more genuine lodge experience for our guests,” said Suzy Hart, General Manager of the 1,501-room resort. “While we are focused on the exterior enhancements and the new dining terraces, there are plans for future development of the 130 acres that surround the resort. We are currently in the design phase on what those 130 acres will look like, but it will complement the community and the resort with retail, dining, entertainment venues, and open spaces that bring people tog
ether,” she added.
The Old Hickory Steakhouse Terrace added an additional 96 seats to the restaurant by adding an outdoor terrace. A fireplace with an 8-foot-wide hearth is the centerpiece to the 2,600 square foot space. Now open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., guests of the resort or residents who want to visit, can enjoy a variety of dishes, including salads, sandwiches, and burgers. Parking is validated with a $50 spend at Old Hickory Steakhouse or when a spa treatment is booked.
“Gaylord Hotels are known for their exceptional facilities including spectacularly designed environments, spacious indoor and outdoor gathering areas, and creative food and beverage concepts, and we believe this is the perfect time to enhance what the hotel already has to offer,” said Colin V. Reed, Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ryman Hospitality Properties. “These current enhancements, combined with future development of the resort and surrounding area, will position Gaylord Rockies as a true leader in the market for both leisure and group travel,” he added.
Phase two will include a new Mountain View Pavilion for weddings and special events. More coverage on what phase two will offer will be covered in a future edition. The Gaylord Rockies Resort is located at 6700 North Gaylord Rockies Boulevard. For more information about the resort or to make a reservation, visit www.gaylordrockies.com.
by Mark Smiley | Jul 20, 2023 | Main Articles
Fans Claim Best Cirque Production To Come To Denver In Years
by Mark Smiley
The equipment is as simple as it gets — eight chairs and a pedestal — but in this act, the artist uses them to create a 23–foot tower on which to perform a balancing act that displays the human body at the very peak of condition and muscular control. Photo Credit: Matt Beard & Bernard Letendre
Cirque du Soleil’s production KOOZA is under the big top at Denver’s Ball Arena through August 13, 2023. KOOZA had its world premiere in April 2007 in Montréal, Canada, and has since played in over 66 cities in 22 countries, including Denver in 2009. KOOZA has performed in front of eight million spectators since its creation. The big top in Ball Arena’s parking lot has a seating capacity of 2,600 which makes for an intimate show without a bad seat in the house.
KOOZA is packed with interesting characters, daring acrobatics, clowns, lavish costuming (by Marie Chantale Vaillancourt, Cirque du Soleil), colorful sets, and a powerful live score that complimented the show wonderfully. The music of KOOZA demonstrates the spirit of the live show with its themes of human connection and fun in a world of duality.
With a stream of uplifting songs with timeless influences where forms and styles intertwine, the music of KOOZA is inspired by the sounds of western pop culture, from 1970s funk to full orchestral arrangements. It also draws heavily on traditional Indian music. There are six KOOZA musicians who play live music during each performance: trumpet, trombone, bass, drums, percussion, saxophone, electric guitar, and keyboard. There are also two singers who sing live during each performance.
KOOZA’s 1,600-pound Wheel of Death rotates at high speeds, powered only by the two artists who leap and counter-rotate in a display of fearless acrobatics and teamwork. Like the High Wire, the Wheel of Death is positioned diagonally, stage left to stage right, in order to break with the usual symmetry and bring the action as close as possible to the audience. Photo Credit: Matt Beard & Bernard Letendre
KOOZA is a return to the origins of Cirque du Soleil that combines two circus traditions — acrobatic performance and the art of clowning. The show highlights the physical demands of human performance, presented in a colorful way that emphasizes bold slapstick humor. The audience had plenty to observe as the action never stopped through its two hour and 10 minute performance.
“KOOZA is about human connection and the world of duality, good and bad,” says the show’s writer and director David Shiner. “The tone is fun and funny, light and open. The show doesn’t take itself too seriously, but it’s very much about ideas, too. As it evolves, we are exploring concepts such as fear, identity, recognition and power.”
The name KOOZA is inspired by the Sanskrit word “koza,” which means “box,” “chest,” or “treasure,” and was chosen because one of the underlying concepts of the production is the idea of a “circus in a box.”
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit cirquedusoleil.com/kooza.
A twist on the classic unicycle number introduces a passenger to the action. Two performers create a pas de deux in constant motion around the stage with a combination of balance, acrobatic control, physical strength, choreographic grace, and a spirit of partnership. Photo Credit: Matt Beard & Bernard Letendre
Young performers work in unison to bring a new approach to the art of contortion. What sets this number apart are the artists’ innovations in movements and position, their speed, and the way they work as a team to create a tableaux of sculptural beauty. Photo Credit: Matt Beard & Bernard Letendre
With the ability to fly, spin, and swing in all directions, the flowing dynamics of the aerialist’s motion is juxtaposed against the high acrobatics performed in this silk act. The versatility of the artist allows her to own the space and soar into aerial feats while continuously building the excitement to its climax. Photo Credit: Matt Beard & Bernard Letendre
