In place of the Policy Advisory Council (PAC) update and regional directors' meetings updates, the County team is using a newsletter in the style of County Connections to communicate critical information.
The content is designed for county human services directors and leadership.
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Message from the Executive Director |
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County Partners,
The team at the Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (the Department) wants you to know we are here for you during the COVID-19 pandemic! During the COVID-19 public health emergency, the Department will likely serve more than 2 million Coloradans at some point - about one-third of the population - while serving nearly 1.4 million members this calendar year. This coverage provides access to affordable care and greater peace of mind during this incredibly difficult time.
The federal government has extended the public health emergency through at least Oct. 25, and may extend it further. That means members whose coverage has been extended through the public health emergency under the Continuous Coverage provision are covered until at least Oct. 31, 2020. We have asked our federal partners for at least two months' notice so we can provide as much notice as possible to our members whose coverage or benefits may be changing and to the counties and Medical Assistance Sites who process eligibility redeterminations. As we mentioned last month, some new co-pays will go into effect following the end of the public health emergency period, but not until we receive federal approval and not before January 2021.
The Department recently partnered with Connect for Health Colorado and the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment’s Unemployment Insurance Division on a health coverage survey to find out where individuals who have lost their jobs are getting health coverage. I’d like to share with you some of the results and ask for your help as we try to keep Coloradans connected to health coverage during this global pandemic. One of the key findings was that 19.33% of respondents did not have health coverage and that 46% of those also responded that they plan to stay uninsured. Those are worrisome statistics at any time, but are especially concerning during a pandemic!
We appreciate your help reaching and messaging to Colorado’s uninsureds to connect them to coverage. Feel free to use the resources available at CO.gov/hcpf/HereForYou.
In other Department news, we are also very excited that our non-emergent medical transportation (NEMT) benefit has officially launched statewide. You can learn more at healthfirstcolorado.com/nemt.
Also, we invite you to watch for the new and improved Health First Colorado mobile app launching Aug. 30 with a new look and feel, and exciting new features! The app is for Health First Colorado and Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) members, and replaces the PEAKHealth app. Members can download the new app in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, and will need a PEAK account login to use the new app. We made these changes in response to our members’ feedback, and members were involved in the design process.
Over the coming months, we will share our members’ stories with you. They are truly inspiring and speak to the importance of our programs. Take a minute to be inspired! Here is Beth's story of how Health First Colorado has helped her and her son thrive.
Last, we are social distancing and wearing our masks in public as Governor Jared Polis has asked; thank you for joining us in setting the example for others to follow to keep our fellow Coloradans healthy, especially as kids head back to school. We are all in this together! You can learn more at covid19.colorado.gov. Stay safe and healthy, and thank you for all you do to support our Department and those we serve. We are deeply appreciative of the partnership we share.
Kim Bimestefer
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Non-Emergent Medical Transportation (NEMT) Statewide Expansion Update |
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NEMT is a Health First Colorado benefit for members who don't have transportation to medical appointments. NEMT was previously administered by different vendors in different parts of the state, but soon NEMT will be the same in all areas of the state.
County Resources
The purpose of this operational memo is to inform county departments of human/social services and NEMT administrators of operational instructions to transition NEMT duties to IntelliRide, the new statewide NEMT vendor.
Printable Resources
Provided by the Department:
Provided by IntelliRide:
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Effective July 1, 2020, the Department transitioned the work of the Healthy Communities Program to the Department's Regional Accountable Entities (RAEs).
Historically, the Healthy Communities program provided outreach to newly enrolled families with children under the age of 21 and pregnant women enrolled in Health First Colorado (Colorado's Medicaid program) and Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+). Moving forward, this outreach will be performed by the RAEs and Managed Care Organizations (MCEs) as it aligns well with their existing work and provides cost savings opportunities.
We would like to thank the many Health Communities staff members and partners who worked so hard to help improve the lives and health of the people we serve.
RAEs will now handle Health First Colorado member questions concerning providers and benefits. County departments of human/social services will answer questions about member applications and eligibility status. CHP+ customer service will answer any CHP+ member questions at 1-800-359-1991.
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County Grant & County Incentives Programs |
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FY 2019-20 County Incentive Program
- Incentive funds earned for FY 2019-20 have been disbursed to each county through the County Financial Management System (CFMS).
FY 2020-21 County Incentive Program
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Competitive Grants
- FY 2020-2021 Grants have been awarded!
- Intergovernmental Grant Agreements were sent to counties on August 26, 2020.
- The Department has invited each grantee to a brief meeting to discuss each grant's conditions of funding.
Targeted Grants
- More information on FY 2020-21 targeted grants coming soon.
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HCPF Email Encryption Change |
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Due to a contractual change for state-wide encryption services, the Department will return to ProofPoint for email encryption instead of Zix on the evening of July 8, 2020.
For more information for how to access ProofPoint details, please refer to the ProofPoint guide.
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Eligibility Error Rate Resources |
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Resources linked include:
- Executive Director Communications
- Federal Audits
- State Audits
- Department Audits
- HCPF Response to Audits
- Federal Guidance-Payment Error Rate Measurement (PERM)/MEQC
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SB 19-195: Enhancing Children and Youth Behavioral Health Services |
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The Colorado General Assembly made the difficult decision to eliminate funding in the 2020-21 fiscal year for Senate Bill (SB) 19-195. The bill authorized the Department to 1) design and recommend an Integrated Funding Pilot to address the challenges of fragmentation and duplication of behavioral health services; and 2) implement a high fidelity wraparound benefit for eligible children and youth. An amendment to the statute, House Bill (HB) 20-1384 now makes those requirements subject to available appropriations, so the Department cannot move forward with these projects.
The Department will continue to engage stakeholders through existing projects that align with the overarching goals of SB 19-195, including the development of a statewide system of care for all children, youth and families that reduces fragmentation and duplication, and to address the unique needs of children, youth and families who are involved in multiple systems or have complex needs. Our continued partnership with the Regional Accountable Entities and our state partners will focus on improving care and access for this unique population.
Please submit any remaining questions or comments through our online form, which will remain active until July 1, 2021. If you would like to stay informed about the work of the Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) in relation to SB 19-195 and other behavioral health initiatives, sign up for the OBH newsletter, visit their blog or email Andrew Gabor.
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Hospital Transformation Program (HTP) Update |
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HTP Implementation Update
At the Aug. 25, 2020 Colorado Healthcare Affordability and Sustainability Enterprise (CHASE) Board meeting, the board voted to revise the implementation of the HTP until February 2021. More information about the change can be found in a memo from the Department.
Hospital Workgroup meetings update
In light of the recent guidance provided by CHASE and the decision to reschedule the implementation of the HTP program to February 2021, we are currently working to revise our project timelines and strategy. Additionally, we are planning on engaging with the Community Advisory Council at the end of September to discuss opportunities for bringing an equity focus within the HTP, in accordance with the CHASE board's recommendation. As such, we have decided to hold off on convening the September workgroup meetings while we focus on the changes needed for the program, operations development and engagement with the Community Advisory Council. Our next hospital workgroup meetings will be held on Thursday, Oct. 22. In the interim, we will provide updates on progress and additional information about the October meeting agenda via email. We look forward to reconvening these workgroups in October as we work to set you and the program up for success when we launch in February.
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Recent Memo Series Issued to Counties |
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OM 20-081
The purpose of this memo is to clarify to county departments of human/social services the deliverable requirements and necessary information to earn the fiscal year (FY) 2020-21 County Incentives Program Cyber Security Incentive.
OM 20-074
The purpose of this Operational Memo is to inform county departments of human/social services and NEMT administrators of operational instructions to transition NEMT duties to IntelliRide, the new statewide NEMT vendor.
OM 20-071
The purpose for this operational memo is to provide guidance to eligibility sites on self-attestation of information to determine eligibility for Medical Assistance programs during the COVID-19 Federal public health emergency (PHE) period.
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IM 20-042
The purpose of this Informational Memo is to remind members, providers, and stakeholders about the importance of celebrating the Labor Day holiday in a safe and responsible manner to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 within our communities, especially in congregate living settings. Information about community spread is included to show a real world visual about the potential for COVID-19 spread within our communities. This memo is intended to provide educational information and does not supplant service specific guidance or requirements.
IM 20-038
This memo informs county and eligibility site workers that there is a new memberfacing mobile application called Health First Colorado, which replaces the PEAKHealth app.
IM 20-036
The purpose of this Informational Memo is to inform county departments of human/social services of quarterly support calls for the County Incentives Program. The support calls are intended to clarify and answer questions about the County Incentives Program and to assist counties in meeting and/or exceeding this year's performance benchmarks and deliverables successfully. Please note these calls are optional.
IM 20-035
The purpose of this Informational Memo is to inform stakeholders that the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (Department) has posted the Request for Proposal (RFP), soliciting proposals from organizations who are interested in performing as a Single Entry Point (SEP) agency
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Colorado Dept. of Health Care Policy & Financing
(303) 866-2993 | 1570 Grant Street, Denver, CO 80203
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