Universal health care backers say measure headed to ballots

A group that wants to see Colorado start the nation’s first universal health care plan says they have enough signatures to take the plan to voters.

The group ColoradoCareYES plans to turn in petition signatures to the secretary of state Friday.

They want to see a question on 2016 ballots about a new health care system to replace the current one. Instead of participating in Obamacare, the state would charge employers and workers taxes to fund a universal health care system.

ColoradoCareYES says employers would have to pay about 7 percent of a worker’s wages into the system, with workers paying about 3 percent. They say the plan will cost $2.9 billion but will save $9 billion.

Skeptics of the plan say costs would run out of control.