This Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (the Department) newsletter is designed to inform county directors, management and staff about high-impact updates, important changes, county performance, new guidance, and program changes. |
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Message from the Executive Director |
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County Partners,
Advancing Policy Together
It’s been an active and exciting month. The Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (the Department) budget for FY 2021-22 is anticipated to be $13.4 billion. That is 37% of the total state budget and a 10% increase over last year. The bulk of the increase is from Medicaid enrollment due to the pandemic and economic downturn. This budget also reverses cuts made last year. On behalf of the Department and our members, thank you for your partnership in driving this outcome.
In addition to a strong budget, we are also making tremendous progress on serving Coloradans through our legislative initiatives:
- Three of our legislative priorities focus on serving members who need long-term services and supports. Our Case Management Redesign bill (HB21-1187) will help build a high-performing conflict-free case management system to serve all populations. SB21-210, Add Remote Supports to Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Programs, will allow the use of remote care to support people with disabilities. Both bills passed with broad bipartisan support and were signed into law by Governor Polis on May 1. A third bill, HB21-1227, Skilled Nursing Facilities: Establishing a Demonstration of Need and Technical Changes, is still in process. This bill would establish criteria for expanding Medicaid skilled nursing providers.
- In our efforts to transform our Behavioral Health system to meet the increasing demands of Coloradans covered by Medicaid and other payers, and after months of work with stakeholders, Governor Polis signed HB21-1097. This bill establishes the Behavioral Health Administration as a single state agency to lead, promote and administer the state's behavioral health priorities.
- Increasing access to the right care, at the right place and for the right price is a key priority for the Department. Notably, our Telemedicine Policy Refinements bill (HB21-1256) builds on prior legislation expanding access to telemedicine to give our Department flexibility to develop an accountability framework for entities whose services are exclusively or predominantly provided through telemedicine. This bill is working its way through the legislative process.
- Our Department continues to focus on making health care affordable to all Coloradans. Our Expand Canadian Prescription Drug Importation Program bill (SB21-123), which expands drug importation to other countries in addition to Canada, was passed and signed into law by the Governor in late April. This initiative has the potential to increase access to more affordable prescription drugs and better pricing and is one of the solutions highlighted in our 2021 Reducing Prescription Drug Costs in Colorado Report.
Continuing our health care affordability efforts, on April 14, over 350 people attended our webinar on “Hospital Affordability Policy & Community Investments.” The webinar featured national and local experts, including RAND Corporation, Colorado Center for Law and Policy, the Colorado Hospital Association, the Division of Insurance and our Department. A video recording of the webinar is available via the Department’s YouTube channel. Presentation slides from each affordability webinar are posted to the Department’s Affordability webpage, under the “Webinar Series” section.
Finally, we continue our focus on COVID-19. The uptick in cases is particularly concerning. That is why the Department is focused on vaccination equity, and appreciates your partnership on this effort. Last month, Colorado opened vaccine eligibility to the general public ages 16 and up. The more Coloradans vaccinated, the more we can open up the economy and get back to engaging with family and friends. Please continue to socially distance, wash hands, wear a mask and get the vaccine as directed by the CDC and our local public health officials. Please visit our COVID-19 webpage for information and resources for providers and members.
I will be scheduling community visits now that I am fully vaccinated. I look forward to seeing you and visiting with you during one of these scheduled trips.
Kim
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Emergency Broadband Benefit Program Coming Soon |
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The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced the application window for the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program (EBB) will open soon. The EBB Program was created to help households struggling to pay for internet service during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The benefit will provide up to $50 per month for broadband service for eligible households, up to $75 per month for households on tribal lands and a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a single laptop, desktop computer or tablet. Eligibility criteria includes one or more members of a household:
- Qualifies for the FCC's existing Lifeline program.
- Receives benefits under a free and reduced-price school lunch program or school breakfast program.
- Lost employment or experienced a substantial loss of income since Feb. 29, 2020
- Is a student who receives a Federal Pell Grant.
- Meets the eligibility criteria for your participating internet provider's existing low-income or COVID-19 program.
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Connect for Health Colorado Uninsured Enrollment Period Toolkit |
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Connect for Health Colorado has opened an Uninsured Enrollment Period to help as many people as possible protect their health and safety during this time.
Please help us spread the word!
Community partners can easily find social media graphics/copy, newsletter copy and virtual brochures in our new toolkit. |
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Recent Memo Series Issued to Counties |
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OM 21-041
The Department appreciates county feedback and has revised the tracking template for
this Performance Incentive. Thus, Operational Memo 21-003 is superseded by this
Memo and guidance is amended below.
The purpose of this Operational Memo is to provide guidance to county departments of
human/social services (county) on updates to the Continuous Coverage (Continuous
Eligibility) Performance Incentive as part of the FY 2020-21 County Incentives Program.
The Performance Incentive was updated due to new guidance received from the federal
government. The Incentive continues to be weighted at 20 percent of total County
Incentives funding.
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IM 21-031
This Informational Memo is intended to inform county human/social services directors
of the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing’s FY 2021-22 County
Budget Amendment (BA) - 10 for the Public Health Emergency (PHE) Locked-In. The
funding is available only to manage Medical Assistance (MA) workload related to the
COVID-19 PHE.
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County-Level Vaccine Dashboard |
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Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) announced that as of Feb. 19 the vaccine data dashboard includes county-level vaccine administration data in beta.
The goal of the expanded data dashboard is part of the state's commitment to prioritize data transparency throughout the COVID-19 response, to inform an equitable vaccine distribution process, and ensure accountability.
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Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) State Managed Care Network (SMCN) Transition |
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Effective July 1, 2021, all Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) eligible members will be automatically enrolled into a CHP+ Managed Care Organization (MCO). As a result, health care services for CHP+ members will no longer be delivered through the CHP+ State Managed Care Network (SMCN), currently administered by Colorado Access.
All CHP+ members enrolled to the SMCN will be transitioned into a CHP+ MCO on July 1, 2021, which includes prenatal individuals, children, and presumptively eligible individuals. There are five CHP+ MCOs in Colorado, and members will be enrolled into an MCO based in part on the county in which they live. Members will receive letters before July with further information about their enrollment, as well as additional information from the CHP+ MCO they are enrolled with for information about accessing healthcare benefits. Members can contact their new MCO with any questions they may have about utilizing their healthcare benefits.
There will be no changes to CHP+ benefits, CHP+ eligibility, or CHP+ cost sharing amounts as a result of this transition.
If members have any questions about the SMCN ending, they can call CHP+ SMCN Customer Service at 1-303-751-9051 or 1-800-414-6198 (toll free), Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. For TDD/TTY, call 1-888-803-4494. For any questions about CHP+ Enrollment, members can call Health First Colorado Enrollment at 1-303-839-2120 or 1-888-367-6557 (State Relay: 711).
For more information about the CHP+ program, please visit the CHP+ Webpage. |
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Hospital Transformation Program (HTP) Update |
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Application Review Oversight Committee
On April 1, implementation of the HTP kicked-off with the beginning of the application period, with HTP applications due by April 30. Applications will now undergo a process of review and feedback and a final review by the Application Review Oversight Committee.
Additional details about the application review process and the Application Review Oversight Committee can be found on the HTP website.
CHASE Board meeting
The next Colorado Healthcare Affordability and Sustainability Enterprise (CHASE) Board meeting will take place via webinar on Tuesday, June 22 at 3 p.m. Additional information about the board, as well as meeting materials, can be found on the CHASE Board website.
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County Grants & County Incentives Program |
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FY 2020-21 County Incentive Program
As a reminder, each incentive's Operational Memo should be a main reference for where and how to pull reports.
Continuous Eligibility Incentive
- COVID Incentive Tracking Template
- Tracking template has been updated, no template is due on May 5.
- The Updated Department Tracking Template will be due on June 5th and July 5th.
- The Locked-in Report can be found in COGNOS, called CBMS County COVID 19 Lock-in Report.
FY 2021-22 County Incentives Program
- June 22: 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Accuracy Incentive - Target/Benchmark Setting
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Competitive Grants
FY 2020-21 Competitive Grants are coming to an end. Presentations on each county grant project will take place on June 15, 8 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
If you are interested in attending, please reach out to Rahem Mulatu.
The FY 2021-22 grant application will be available in May after the Joint Budget Committee passes the Long Bill. If counties want to discuss potential grant projects for next Fiscal Year, reach out to Rahem Mulatu.
Targeted Grants
If your county has opted into the COVID-19 Locked in Report Targeted Grant, please make sure to charge the grant for staff time spent on the Locked-in Report.
If your county has been unable to work the report or anticipates that your county will be unable to use grant funds, please reach out to Rahem Mulatu. |
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Timeliness for April 2021 |
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Timeliness for all Medical Assistance applications was measured at 98.31 percent. |
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Timeliness for all Medical Assistance redeterminations was measured at 98.67 percent. |
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Department Contacts & Resources |
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