DENVER — Denver voters approved a ballot initiative Tuesday that will help fund a struggling Denver Health for years to come after the hospital system revealed earlier this year that uncompensated care costs have gone up in recent years due to a rapidly increasing number of uninsured patients seeking care.
Ballot Issue 2Q asked Denver voters to raise its effective sales tax raise by 0.34%, adding about 0.3 cents to every $10 purchase, in order to fund the state’s largest safety net hospital by bringing an additional $70 million each year on top of the $30 million it gets from the city.
Unofficial results from the Denver Clerk and Recorder showed nearly 56% in favor of the measure compared to 44% against it, with more than 312,000 ballots counted in the race by 5 p.m. Friday.
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In a statement Friday, CEO Donna Lynne thanked Denver voters for approving the measure.
“The voters of Denver have shown without a doubt that health care is a critical component of a vibrant and dynamic city,” said Lynne. “I’m excited that this supportive funding will help us to invest in our people, our infrastructure and our technology year-after-year.”
Lynne said the new funding will support five areas — emergency and trauma care, primary medical care, mental health care, pediatric care and recovery support services.
The CEO told Denver City Council members in September that 61,000 uninsured patients visited the hospital system in 2022, which increased to about 75,000 uninsured patients in 2023.
Since 2019, Lynne said, the amount of care the hospital has provided but received no payment for increased from $42 million to $103 million in 2023. Projections showed Denver Health could spend about $142 million by next year if nothing is done to help the hospital system stay afloat.
Per our partners at The Denver Post, Denver Health would have to use the money on five priority areas: Emergency and trauma care, primary care, mental health care; addiction treatment and recovery, and pediatric care.
The city’s effective tax rate could increase more if Denverites approve Ballot Issue 2R, a sales tax hike of 0.5% to fund affordable housing efforts over the next 40 years.
The sales tax from Ballot Issue 2Q will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025.
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