(1) The general assembly hereby finds and declares that a significant percentage of children are uninsured. This lack of health insurance coverage decreases children's access to preventive health care services, compromises the productivity of the state's future workforce, and results in avoidable expenditures for emergency and remedial health care. Health care providers, health care facilities, and all purchasers of health care, including the state, bear the costs of this uncompensated care.

(2) The general assembly further finds and declares that the coordination and consolidation of funding sources currently available to provide services to uninsured children such as the Colorado indigent care program pursuant to part 1 of article 3 of this title, the children's basic health plan, and other children's health programs would efficiently and effectively meet the health care needs of uninsured children and would help to reduce the volume of uncompensated care in the state.

(3) (a) It is the intent of the general assembly to make health insurance coverage available and affordable and to support employers in their efforts to provide their employees and their dependents with health insurance coverage and to support increased availability of affordable health insurance in the individual market.

(b) It is the intent of the general assembly that the savings and efficiencies realized through actual reductions in administrative and programmatic costs associated with the implementation of this article and achieved in consolidating other health care programs should be identified.

(4) It is not the intent of the general assembly to create an entitlement for health insurance coverage.

(5) The general assembly hereby declares that the following principles shall be used in implementing the children's basic health plan set forth in this article:

(a) The department shall establish and maintain a goal of inter-program communication in order to maximize existing state appropriations for the population served in the program;

(b) There shall be efficient program utilization through inter-program coordination and program consolidation and, where appropriate, through contracting with the private sector and with essential community providers;

(c) The policies enacted in House Bill 97-1304 regarding a strong managed care direction shall be emphasized;

(d) The private sector shall be involved to the greatest possible degree with respect to contracting for managed care;

(e) There shall be maximum emphasis on coordination with local and state public health programs and initiatives for children.

(6) The general assembly hereby finds and declares:

(a) That the goal of the "Children's Basic Health Plan Act" is to support low-income, working parents and families in overcoming barriers in obtaining good quality, affordable health care services for their children;

(b) That the health services that low-income children receive through the children's basic health plan should be cost-effective, of high quality, and promote positive health outcomes for enrolled children;

(c) That the children's basic health plan was designed as, and should continue to be, a private-public partnership that encourages enrollment and seeks every opportunity to operate with the efficiency and creativity that is found in utilizing private sector systems and business practices while maintaining the highest level of accountability to the general assembly, the executive branch, and the public through administration of the plan by the department;

(d) That the children's basic health plan was designed as, and should continue to be, a community-based program that encourages local participation in enrolling children in and supporting its goals.