June 6, 2022
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!
A Message from the Executive Director
Historic Legislative Session for Health Policy 
Thank you for your partnership in a historic legislative session for health policy. Together, we are making transformative investments in behavioral health, workforce, pandemic management, affordability and coverage. While the Department is tracking and implementing more than 50 bills passed this session, here are some of the highlights: 
 
Behavioral Health. Twenty bills touched behavioral health and substance use, many memorializing Behavioral Health Transformational Task Force recommendations including the investment of $450 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars. HB 22-1278 creates the Behavioral Health Administration, a landmark achievement that will help coordinate the efforts across state agencies to transform the behavioral health system, achieve shared goals and pursue a shared vision that puts Coloradans first.  
 
Supporting Workforce, Older Adults & Pandemic Management. Several bills will help Colorado move from pandemic responsiveness to endemic management and pandemic readiness. They include measures focused on vaccinating, testing and treating through hospital system owned primary care providers as well as hospital staffing improvements (HB 22-1401); targeted funding to support nursing homes (HB 22-1247); and higher base wages for nursing home workers (HB 22-1333) as well as home and community-based direct care workers (HB22-1188). Also, the Department is thrilled at the passage of SB 22-203, which creates a more efficient, effective and transparent oversight structure for Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) - an all-inclusive benefit for older adults who need long-term services and supports. 
 
Affordability. As stated by Gov. Polis, this was a landmark legislative session for saving people money on health care. HB 22-1285 increases hospital price transparency, predicted to drive down outlier prices impacting communities. Additionally, HB 22-1370 will pass along drug manufacturer rebates to employers and consumers – valued at more than 16% of overall drug costs for those not sharing in rebates now. This bill represented one of the policy recommendations in the Department’s 2021 Reducing Prescription Drug Costs in Colorado Report. Also, SB 22-200 provides funding for rural hospitals to invest in affordability solutions that help reduce rural hospital and clinic prices. Finally, the long bill supported the Department’s expansion of value-based payment models, designed to improve quality, reduce disparities and drive affordability across primary care, maternity care, prescription drugs and specialty care. 
 
Coverage. Significant progress was made on expanding health coverage. Thanks to HB 22-1289, more children and pregnant people will be eligible for health coverage through a new program the Department will administer to reduce the uninsured rate. This bill also enables HCPF to move eligible individuals from Health First Colorado (Colorado’s Medicaid program) to Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) at the end of the public health emergency without member action by eliminating the annual CHP+ enrollment fee. SB 22-081 also passed, supporting coverage transitions and improving awareness of financial assistance that makes coverage more affordable to help keep Coloradans covered. 
 
Thank you for your collaboration on advancing such important policies. We appreciate the hard work, passion and expertise of our elected officials, advocates, providers and stakeholders. For more information, please visit our Legislator Resource Center

Kim  
Breaking News
Please Take our Survey:

The newsletter survey we sent in April had some technical glitches, so we are opening it again. We are sorry for the inconvenience and we appreciate your patience!

Register Now for HCPF's Annual Stakeholder Webinar:

Please register to join Health Care Policy & Financing leaders for a virtual webinar on July 19 from 9-11 a.m. This event will share what we accomplished together last year, address priorities for next fiscal year, and invite stakeholder feedback and comments.
Health First Colorado Buy-In Program for Working Adults with Disabilities Allowing Individuals 65 and Older to continue to enroll for Benefits:

As of July 1, 2022, CBMS will be updated to allow no maximum age limit for the Buy-In Program for Working Adults with Disabilities (WAwD). 

Individuals must still meet all eligibility qualifications for the program. Working individuals must have a disability determination through Social Security or the state disability determination vendor, ARG. Individuals 65 and older who do not have a disability determination must submit a disability application to ARG. 

For more information, please view these resources:
eConsult Platform Update:

The Department is implementing a statewide Medicaid electronic consultation platform called the eConsult Platform. This platform will promote the Department's mission to improve health care equity, access and outcomes for the people we serve.

The eConsult platform will enable communications between Primary Care Medical Providers (PCMPs) and specialists. The PCMP will be able to transmit clinical questions and medical information to a specialist, so the specialist can review the case without an in-person office visit with the member. The specialist and PCMP work together in the diagnosis and/or management of the member’s health care needs, or facilitate office visits with the specialist when clinically appropriate. 

The Department expects to have an eConsult Vendor selected by this fall/winter. 

Anticipated Timeline 
  • Mid-Spring/Summer 2022 - Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) Posted and Vendor Selection
  • Fall/Winter 2022 - Contract Negotiations
  • Winter 2023 – Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Review of Contract
  • Spring /Summer 2023 - Implementation Activities
  • Summer /Fall 2023 - eConsult Platform Go Live 

The timeline is subject to change without prior notice and is only provided as a reference.

For more information, visit the eConsult Platform webpage or email questions to: HCPF_econsult@state.co.us.
Update Your Address Messaging Toolkit:
The purpose of this toolkit is to provide our community partners, stakeholders, and advocates with messaging and resources to encourage Health First Colorado and Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) members to update their contact information. This toolkit is particularly important to prepare members for upcoming updates to the renewal process for Health First Colorado.
 
This toolkit was a collaborative effort among the Department of Health Care Policy & Financing and advocates, with review and input from Health First Colorado and CHP+ members. Partners using this toolkit may modify the language to fit their specific communication vehicles; however, the messaging in these resources should remain the same to ensure consistency.
 
Please note that highlighted text indicates areas where partner organizations should insert their organization’s name and information if they provide enrollment assistance. Contact information for a partner organization that could help with enrollment can also be inserted. Please delete these lines if they do not apply to your organization.
English and Spanish versions of all messaging and graphics are available. 
 
Thank you for helping us spread the word!
Antiviral Information for Providers:
If your facility is not currently enrolled in COVID-19 Antiviral Distribution, we would like to encourage you to participate and complete this form to initiate the process. Interested sites must already be licensed by the Colorado State Board of Pharmacy to dispense outpatient medications.

Find a list of all pharmacies distributing antivirals on CDPHE’s Information about outpatient COVID-19 therapeutics for health care providers webpage

For new information on the federal Test to Treat program, refer to ASPR’s fact sheet. In this program, people can get tested for COVID-19 and—if they are positive and can get therapeutic treatments—receive a prescription from an on-site health care provider and have their prescription filled all in one location. Patients can also bring their own positive result from at-home tests or outside testing locations. To indicate interest in this program, email cdphe_dcphr_covidtherapeutics@state.co.us
COVID-19 vaccine updates:
The CDC has approved an additional booster dose for people who may be at higher risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19. People over the age of 50 can now get an additional booster four months after their prior dose to increase their protection.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) fully approved the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine on Jan. 31, 2022. The Moderna vaccine has been available under emergency use authorization (EUA) for individuals 18 years of age and older since Dec. 18, 2020.

The COVID-19 Pfizer booster is approved for anyone 12 and older. The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment encourages all Coloradans age 12 and up to get a booster dose as soon as possible if it has been at least six months since they got their second dose of Pfizer or Moderna, or at least two months since they got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. 

As a reminder, children ages 5-11 are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccines and boosters are common practice in routine childhood vaccination. Many vaccines require multiple doses at specific intervals to be most effective. Anyone with questions about boosters is encouraged to speak with their health care provider.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines and boosters and where to find them. Anyone who needs help making a vaccine appointment should call 1-877-268-2926. Health First Colorado members who need help finding a ride to get to a vaccine appointment can use the Non-Emergent Medical Transportation benefit.
Helpful Resources
Female provider, kneeling next to parents holding small child.
Enrollment
In April 2022, there were
1,600,899 Coloradans enrolled in Health First Colorado and
50,475 enrolled in Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+).