DENVER, Colo. -- Colorado's rural areas can't escape higher health insurance costs because it costs more to deliver health care.
That's the conclusion Monday from the state Division of Insurance, which was ordered to study the problem of higher insurance prices on the Western Slope and in other rural areas.
The Division looked at Colorado's nine geographic rating areas for health insurance. State lawmakers from rural areas have said it's unfair that folks along the Front Range have lower costs for health insurance. They wanted to see Colorado adopt a single price for health coverage in all parts of the state.
But insurance regulators said Monday that rural health care is simply more expensive. The agency said it plans to come out with some recommendations by the end of the year.