At a Glance is a Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (Department) publication that provides information on major initiatives, policy changes and program updates. Feel free to share At a Glance with your colleagues. Find previous editions of At a Glance on the Department website at colorado.gov/hcpf/publications. Thank you for your interest!
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A Message from the Executive Director |
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Making a better tomorrow through health equity partnership efforts
The Department’s four priorities in closing health disparities are COVID-19 vaccinations, maternal health, behavioral health and preventive care. I am pleased to share updates on the first two.
Thank you to our care providers, partners, advocates and CDPHE for your critical partnership in working to vaccinate the 1 in 4 Coloradans we cover. Our initial focus was on members at high risk for COVID-19. Targeted efforts worked: 88% of our Medicaid members in residential and congregate settings are vaccinated, and 95% of Medicaid members confirmed as needing a homebound vaccine are vaccinated or scheduled to be vaccinated.
Now it is time to double down on closing gaps in race/ethnicity vaccination rates. We reduced the gap between white and Latinx Medicaid member vaccination rates to less than 1.5%, but still need to focus on getting all Medicaid member vaccination rates up, and, in particular, African American/Black, Native American and Pacific Islander member rates.
We cover 42%-45% of Colorado births each year, so our focus on closing disparities for moms and babies will be truly impactful as well. In partnership with Regional Accountable Entities, providers and community partners, more comprehensive and consistent prenatal support programs went into effect Jan. 1, 2021. Risk stratification, specialized care teams, access to services and programs, evidence-based interventions and our Maternity Bundled Payment Program promote equity in member access to culturally-responsive care. Our member-led Maternity Advisory Committee — composed primarily of Black, Indigenous and other People of Color with lived experience in Medicaid maternity care — will help us improve member experience and maternal outcomes.
To bolster equity work, our budget includes funding to identify health disparities specific to Colorado. I was also pleased to testify along with Executive Director Jill Hunsaker-Ryan of CDPHE in support of SB21-181, which creates a shared health equity plan across the Departments and provides staff to implement and support it.
This month, it is important to remember the 1921 Tulsa massacre - one of the worst incidents of racial violence in our country - and to recognize Juneteenth. As partners in our equity work, we invite you to engage in the below opportunities in our shared quest to make a Colorado that Works for All.
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Juneteenth: June 19 marks the end of slavery in the U.S. On this day in 1865, the last quarter-of-a-million slaves were freed, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
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PRIDE: This month, we celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and the movement born from the June 1969 Stonewall Riots. This comes on the heels of U.S. Health & Human Services announcing it will protect against sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination.
Kim
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Update on Health First Colorado Member Co-pays and Dental Benefit:
The Colorado General Assembly, as part of its Long Bill deliberations this year, reversed some budget balancing items it passed last year related to increasing certain Health First Colorado member co-pays and reducing the adult dental benefit.
These changes had not been enacted yet due to the ongoing public health emergency but were planned to take place at the end of the public health emergency. After the decision from this year’s Long Bill deliberations, Health First Colorado members’ dental benefit will continue to be $1,500 per year and co-pays will not go up.
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Health Care Affordability |
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Hospital Transformation Program Update:
Application Review Oversight Committee
On April 1, implementation of the Hospital Transformation Program (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, are on the CHASE Board website.
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Post Award Forum on the Progress of Colorado's Title XXI Section 1115 Demonstration:
The Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) webpage includes information on Colorado’s Title XXI Section 1115 Demonstration - Adult Prenatal Coverage in Child Health Plan Plus (Project Number 21-W-0001 4/8) upcoming Post Award Forum. The website also includes information on the demonstration’s progress, prior demonstration period interim results, and approval documentation for a five year extension granted through July 2025.
Anyone interested in learning about the demonstration or providing comments or feedback is encouraged to attend the upcoming post award forum. The date, time, and location of the post award forum is hosted to the webpage and will be updated accordingly.
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In April 2021, there were
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