Colorado 2010 State Legislative Information
Support Home Health Care Amendment to HB10-1324
Home Health Care Providers have already taken a 4.5% rate reduction and may take another 1% rate reduction July 1, 2010.
Home Health Reductions -
- $30.8M – 2% reduction July 1, 2009
- $19.6M - 1.5% reduction September 1, 2009
- $ 8.3M – 1% reduction December 1, 2009
- Proposed: $22.8M – 1% reduction July 1, 2010
HCPF’s budget request is recommending another decrease of $202.8M general fund for the 2010/11 budget.
Visit our blog for complete details
BILL HB10-1005 CONCERNING HOME HEALTH CARE THROUGH TELEMEDICINE PURSUANT TO THE “COLORADO MEDICAL ASSISTANCE ACT”.
Sponsors: MASSEY / FOSTER
Health Care Task Force. This bill makes telemedicine eligible for reimbursement under the state’s medical assistance program (program) in order to comply with direction from the federal centers for medicare and medicaid services. Eliminates incorrect references to the way reimbursement payments are made under the program. Deletes the requirement that reimbursement rates from telemedicine be budget neutral or result in cost savings to the program. Requires that any cost savings identified be considered for use in paying for home health care or home- and community-based services instead of requiring the savings be applied to payment for the services. Deletes the requirement that the state medical services board consider reductions in travel costs by home health care or home- and community-based service providers and other factors when setting reimbursement rates for services.
Status: 01/13/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Health and Human Services
BILL HB10-1029 CONCERNING AGREEMENTS FOR THE PURCHASE OF MEDICAL GOODS.
Sponsors: ACREE / KELLER
Interim Committee on the Developmental Disability Waiting List. The bill directs the department of health care policy and financing to negotiate agreements with suppliers of high-quality durable medical equipment and medical supplies so that persons receiving public medical benefits or who are on a waiting list for the benefits can purchase high-quality equipment and supplies at the lowest cost.
Status: 01/13/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Health and Human Services
BILL HB10-1041 CONCERNING APPLICATIONS FOR HOME- AND COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES WAIVERS FOR CHILDREN AS PART OF THE MEDICAID ELIGIBILITY MODERNIZATION.
Sponsors: ACREE / MITCHELL
Interim Committee on the Developmental Disability Waiting List. As part of the medicaid eligibility modernization, the bill authorizes the department of health care policy and financing to create a universal application or single point of entry for home- and community-based services waivers for children.
Status: 01/13/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Health and Human Services
BILL HB10-1061 CONCERNING THE CREATION OF THE COLORADO MEDICAL DONATION PROGRAM TO BE ADMINISTERED BY THE STATE BOARD OF HEALTH.
Sponsors: MERRIFIELD / TOCHTROP
The bill establishes the Colorado medical donation program (program) for the purpose of allowing certain facilities to donate medications, medical devices, and medical supplies to eligible patients in Colorado. The program is modeled after the “Colorado Cancer Drug Repository Act” established by the general assembly in 2005. The state board of health (state board) is required to administer the program. Under the program, specific health facilities are allowed to donate, receive, and dispense approved medications, medical devices, and medical supplies to patients who are uninsured or underinsured. The bill specifies that participation by facilities is voluntary and that certain medications are exempted from the program. The state board is directed to promulgate rules to implement the program.
Status: 01/13/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Health and Human Services
BILL HB10-1122 CONCERNING MEDICAL ORDERS DETERMINING THE SCOPE OF TREATMENT AN ADULT WISHES TO RECEIVE UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.
Sponsors: ROBERTS & … / WILLIAMS
The bill provides that a medical orders for scope of treatment form (MOST form) that is properly executed and signed by an adult’s physician, advanced practice nurse, or, if under the supervision or authority of the physician, physician’s assistant shall have the same force and effect as a physician’s order with respect to medical treatment of the adult who is the subject of the MOST form. An adult with decisional capacity or an authorized decision-maker for an adult who lacks decisional capacity may execute a MOST form. The bill requires emergency medical service personnel, a health care provider, or a health care facility to comply with a MOST form that is apparent and immediately available. Emergency medical service personnel, a health care provider, or a health care facility that complies with a MOST form is exempt from civil or criminal liability or regulatory sanction. A verbal order from an adult’s physician, advanced practice nurse, or, if under the supervision or authority of the physician, physician’s assistant shall have the same force and effect as an executed MOST form so long as the verbal order is acknowledged in writing and signed by the adult’s physician, advanced practice nurse, or, if under the supervision or authority of the physician, physician’s assistant. A health care facility or a health care provider may delay compliance with an adult’s executed MOST form for the purpose of consulting with the adult, the adult’s authorized surrogate decision-maker, or the physician, advanced practice nurse, or physician’s assistant who signed the form concerning the provisions of the form and their applicability in the present treatment environment. The bill requires a health care facility that transfers an adult who is known to have properly executed and signed a MOST form to communicate the existence of the form to the receiving health care facility before the transfer and ensure that the form accompanies the adult upon admission to or discharge from a health care facility. A health care provider or health care facility that provides care to an adult whom the health care provider or health care facility knows to have executed a MOST form must provide notice to the adult or, if appropriate, to the adult’s authorized surrogate decision-maker, of any policies based on moral convictions or religious beliefs of the health care provider or health care facility relative to the withholding or withdrawal of medical treatment. A health care provider or health care facility must promptly transfer an adult who has executed a MOST form to another health care provider or health care facility if the original health care provider or health care facility will not comply with the provisions of the form on the basis of policies based on moral convictions or religious beliefs. An adult with decisional capacity may revoke all or part of his or her executed MOST form at any time. An authorized surrogate decision-maker may revoke an adult’s MOST form if it was originally executed by an authorized surrogate decision-maker. Emergency medical service personnel, a health care provider, or an authorized surrogate decision-maker who becomes aware of the revocation of a MOST form must promptly communicate the fact of the revocation to a physician, advanced practice nurse, or physician’s assistant who is providing health care to the adult who is the subject of the form. A health care facility may not require an adult to complete a MOST form as a condition of being admitted to, or receiving treatment from, the health care facility. Neither the existence nor absence of a MOST form shall be the basis for any delay in issuing or refusing to issue an annuity or policy of life or health insurance or any increase of a premium therefor. The bill clarifies the effect of a MOST form on conflicting provisions of another form of advance medical directive.
Status: 01/15/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Health and Human Services
BILL SB10-002 CONCERNING THE DENIAL OF BENEFITS BY HEALTH COVERAGE PLANS, AND, IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, INCREASING RECOVERIES TO THE MEDICAID PROGRAM AND ESTABLISHING A LONG-TERM CARE OMBUDSMAN OFFICE.
Sponsors: STEADMAN & … / LOOPER & …
Interim Committee on the Developmental Disability Waiting List. Section 1 makes legislative findings. Sections 2 and 3 require a health insurance company to notify any known covered person’s designated representative of any denial of a benefit and of the right to appeal the denial. The designated representative could exercise certain rights during the appeal processes. Section 4 directs the department of health care policy and financing (department) to provide recipients of public medical benefits with information concerning the recipient’s right to appeal denials of benefits by third parties. Section 5 provides that, by signing the application for medicaid, the applicant is designating the department as the applicant’s designated representative for purposes of appealing any denial of benefits by a health insurance company paid for by medicaid. Section 6 requires the department or its independent contractor to notify an insurance carrier that the department is the designated representative of a medicaid recipient. The department or the department’s independent contractor, if necessary, shall appeal an adverse insurance coverage decision at any level. Any agreement with an independent contractor to review and appeal adverse coverage decisions by an insurance carrier shall require the contractor to report specified information to the department. The department will report annually the information from the independent contractor to specified committees of the general assembly, which reporting requirement is repealed July 1, 2017. The bill expresses the intent of the general assembly that additional recoveries from third parties pursuant to the bill should be used to pay the expenses of a long-term care ombudsman office and to reduce the waiting list of persons with a developmental disability. Section 7 directs the department to establish a long-term care ombudsman office to assist long-term care recipients.
Status: 01/13/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Health and Human Services
