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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Partnering to Address Health Disparities
Thank you to the 1,000 stakeholders who joined our Summer Health Cabinet Summit last month and to those who will watch the Summit sessions in the coming weeks. And thank you to the panelists who provided expert insights and thought-provoking dialogue to each of our topics: prescription drug and hospital affordability, behavioral health transformation, and health equity. The event recording and materials are posted on our Affordability website and the newly released reports – Hospital Cost, Price & Profit Review and COVID-19's Impact on Colorado Hospitals' Finances - are posted on our Hospital Reports Hub.
A top priority for HCPF remains getting our members vaccinated and therefore protected against the impact of COVID-19. Health First Colorado members (who, by definition, have low incomes) have a 25-point vaccination gap compared to the state vaccination rate. This gap is the same or smaller than the vast majority of states. Still, closing this disparity is of vital importance to reducing spread, hospitalizations, and deaths among low-income Coloradans.
Thanks to you, our partners, we know that targeted outreach works, as evidenced by the results of three strategic initiatives: (1) Medicaid members with disabilities are now vaccinated at more than twice the rate of their counterparts; (2) homebound members are now vaccinated at twice the rate of their counterparts; and (3) the gap between Medicaid members of color and white members has been narrowed to less than 3%. The issue remains closing the vaccination gap between low-income compared to medium- and high-income Coloradans.
Thank you, Regional Accountable Entities, community health centers, physicians, hospitals, pharmacists, and our many other valued partners. We appreciate the individual outreaches, education, and encouragement that resulted in Medicaid members getting vaccinated. Your trusted voices are critical to closing this 25-point health disparity and saving lives.
As leaders, we are important role models. Thank you to the many hospitals that led the way and implemented employee vaccine mandates. The State of Colorado is requiring all state employees to be fully vaccinated or to test twice-weekly for COVID-19 starting Sept. 20. Also, at the request of the Governor, the State Board of Health is requiring vaccination by Oct. 31 for personnel working with Colorado’s most vulnerable as well as in settings where people receive essential health care services in order to keep Coloradans protected and save lives.
After COVID-19 vaccination uptake, the state’s second health equity priority is maternal health. The Department is helping to lead this charge given that our safety net programs cover more than 40% of the births in the state. To learn more about these maternal health disparities, please register online to join our Sept. 15 virtual Maternal Health event, from 1-2:30. This event will review the findings in our newest report, Colorado Medicaid Maternity Report, followed by an expert panel discussion of the health disparity drivers and solutions to address them. Stay tuned for the imminent release of this report on our website. Looking forward to seeing you then!
Kim
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New Prescriber Tool for Health First Colorado:
Prescription drugs are the leading contributor to rising health care costs, but that challenge impacts more than just the financials. One in three Coloradans either cannot fill a prescription, cut pills in half, or skip doses because of the cost.
Colorado is the first state in the nation to provide a cohesive Prescriber Tool that achieves this goal for both Medicaid and commercial prescribers. This will save Coloradans money on health care, reduce health care costs for employers and Health First Colorado, while also improving patient health by making prescription drug therapy more affordable and accessible. The Prescriber Tool also reduces administrative burden for providers by making prescription writing easier and reducing rework. Eight-five percent of Health First Colorado's 24,459 prescribers have the real-time benefit check in their electronic health record.
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Help Us Get the Word Out! Monthly Tax Credit Resources for Parents & Stakeholders:
This toolkit was created for anyone to use to spread the word that expanded tax credits can help lift up to 40% of Colorado families out of poverty. The toolkit contains English and Spanish language messages, a flyer for distribution in physical settings, and sample newsletter and text message content. Please share with your networks and families who could benefit from these new cash-back resources!
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Colorado COVID-19 Health Care Provider Vaccine Information Toolkit:
In an effort to best organize and make readily available the wide array of health care provider vaccine resources, trainings and materials related to the COVID-19 vaccination program, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has created the online Colorado COVID-19 Health Care Provider Vaccine Information Toolkit. The toolkit has a variety of robust elements. Please share with your networks.
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The Overflow Processing Center:
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government declared a Public Health Emergency (PHE). As a result, most Health First Colorado and Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) members have remained enrolled (known as “locked-in”) and have been eligible to receive benefits during the PHE.
At the end of the PHE, these members will require an eligibility review within the timeframe given by our federal partners at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).The Department has approved funding for the Overflow Processing (OPC), which will assist counties with the end of PHE workload and then will continue to assist with backlogs of Health First Colorado and CHP+ applications, eligibility determinations, and redeterminations.
After a thorough application process, Prowers County has been selected as the vendor for the OPC. The OPC will be located in Granada, CO, and is a different entity from Prowers Department of Human Services (DHS).
We continue to engage with our eligibility site representatives to develop and finalize processes for the OPC around implementation and workflow to ensure quality, timeliness and customer experience. We are working towards an anticipated operational start date at the end of 2021/beginning of 2022. It is the Department’s goal to keep counties and eligibility sites informed about the OPC and to continue to partner with you through the challenges resulting from the pandemic.
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