This newsletter provides important information and updates from the Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (the Department) on House Bill (HB) 18-1136 and the Substance Use Disorder (SUD) benefit at Health First Colorado (Colorado’s Medicaid program). Feel free to share this newsletter with your colleagues. Previous editions are on the SUD Webpage.

Your feedback, ideas and questions are welcome and can be shared with us at hcpf_sudbenefits@state.co.us.

Thank you for your interest!

What's New

Health First Colorado has seen an increase in Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) services delivered to members as services have become more accessible through telehealth. This increase in members using telehealth services for MAT care is consistent with findings in a recently published article in a Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) which found: 

“Emergency authorities to expand use of telehealth and provide flexibilities for MOUD provision during the pandemic were used by Medicare beneficiaries initiating an episode of OUD-related care and were associated with improved retention in care and reduced odds of medically treated overdose. Strategies to expand provision of MOUD and increase retention in care are urgently needed ... Consistent with the broadening of telehealth use during the pandemic, approximately 1 in 8 beneficiaries in the pandemic cohort received OUD-related telehealth services at their index OUD visit compared with 1 in 800 in the pre-pandemic cohort. Further, the percentage of the pandemic cohort receiving OUD-related telehealth services was 35-fold that of the pre-pandemic cohort, documenting marked increases in telehealth use for OUD during the pandemic ... Among those receiving MOUD, treatment retention in the pandemic cohort was either no different than or higher than retention in the pre- pandemic cohort, depending on type of MOUD received.” To learn more read the whole article.

Take Note

Annual SUD Stakeholder Forum 

The second annual SUD stakeholder forum will be held in October via Zoom and requires participants to register to attend. Rather than one single event, the Department will offer four times to fit our stakeholders’ schedules. Below are the options to choose from and registration links.  

Friday, Oct. 7, 2022, 12-1 p.m. Zoom Registration  

Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022, 9-10 a.m. Zoom Registration 

Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022, 4-5 p.m. Zoom Registration 

Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022, 2-3 p.m. Zoom Registration 

During the annual forum, we will review the Annual Report for Demonstration Year 1 and update the community about the 1115 Waiver “Expanding the Substance Use Disorder Continuum of Care.” Participants will be able to have questions answered about how the benefit expansion works, and they can share ideas about community needs in the SUD space.

Debunking Myths & Misinformation 

Did you know… 

To support Continuity of Care for Health First Colorado members: Transportation to Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) can be a covered benefit for members using non-emergent medical transportation (NEMT) services to their ongoing MAT provider, even when it is not the closest.

Friendly Reminders

Quarterly Provider Forum 

The Quarterly SUD Provider Forum is hosted on Zoom and requires participants to register to attend. Meetings are on the first Wednesday of the month from 2-3 p.m. 

The next meeting will be held Oct. 5, 2022, 2-3 p.m. Zoom Registration 

Reasonable accommodations will be provided upon request for persons with disabilities. Please notify the Department 504/ADA Coordinator, Emelie Esquivel, at hcpf504ada@state.co.us at least one week before the meeting to make arrangements.