HEALTH CARE ACCESS & Affordability
Every family deserves access to quality, affordable health care. From codifying the right for all Coloradans to access abortion and reproductive care, to improving access in rural areas, to ensuring frontline health care workers have the support they need, we worked hard this session to create a healthier Colorado for us all.
Expanding Access
Reproductive Health Equity Act | HB22-1279
Gonzales / Froelich & Esgar
Access to reproductive health care - including abortion care - is a fundamental right, and gives our communities the power to control their bodies and their futures. Colorado Democrats passed this critical bill to establish that every individual has the fundamental right to use or refuse contraception, continue to continue the pregnancy and give birth or to have an abortion, and a fertilized egg, embryo, or fetus does not have independent or derivative rights.
Health Exchange Education Campaign Health-care Services | SB22-081
Smallwood & Donovan / Tipper & Will
Making sure folks understand how to access health care is critical, which is why this bill directs the board of Connect for Health Colorado to conduct a public awareness campaign about health plans available on the state exchange and how to sign up for these affordable plans.
Colorado Rural Health-care Workforce Initiative | SB22-172
Winter & Rankin / Roberts & Rich
Every Coloradan deserves quality and affordable health care, but that care is too often hard to come by, especially in the rural and underserved parts of our state. We passed this bill to create the Colorado Rural Health Care Workforce Initiative, which allows institutions of higher education to establish or expand a health care rural track to encourage and train health care providers to practice in rural communities. Students who participate in the rural track program are eligible for a scholarship if they commit to practicing in a rural or frontier county for two years. The bill also establishes a Rural Program Office in the University of Colorado School of Medicine to develop a relevant curriculum, provide technical assistance to participating institutions, and evaluate the effectiveness of the initiative.
Telepharmacy Criteria Remove Location Restriction | SB22-173
Rodriguez & Smallwood / Bird & McKean
During the pandemic, we saw a need for greater flexibility in accessing health care services in every corner of the state, and telepharmacy emerged as a way to bring high quality services directly to underserved areas. This bill removes the current restriction requiring telepharmacy outlets to be located more than twenty miles from the nearest prescription drug outlet or other telepharmacy outlet. The State Board of Pharmacy must take into consideration areas of need when determining locations for new remote pharmacy sites.
Regulate Dental Therapists | SB22-219
Moreno & Smallwood / Duran & McLachlan
This bill creates a new category of dental care provider---a licensed dental therapist. A dental therapist is authorized to deliver routine and preventive dental care. They must graduate from a school of dental therapy, pass the dental hygienist exam, and apply for a license. A dental therapist must practice under the supervision of a licensed dentist for 1000 hours.
Rural Provider Stimulus Grant Program | SB22-200
Ginal & Rankin / McCluskie & Soper
Getting folks across our state access to health care is one of Democrats’ top priorities, and is especially important in rural communities where folks often have to travel hours to find the care they need. This bill uses $10 million in federal funds to create a Rural Provider Access and Affordability Stimulus Grant Program to provide grants to rural hospitals aimed at increasing access to, and affordability of, a wide range of health care services. Grants can be used to extend hospital/clinic hours, increase the use of telemedicine, and boost capacity for long-term care, skilled nursing facility recovery days, and behavioral health services.
Health Care Workforce | SB22-226
Jaquez Lewis & Rankin / Mullica
As we move forward together, we must invest in Colorado’s health care workforce and better prepare and equip our health care heroes. This bill expands the health care workforce through financial support for added capacity in health care oriented education programs at existing institutions from federal pandemic relief funds: $26 million to pay for in-demand health education credentials (like CNA and EMT) through the community college system; $20 million for a practice-based health education grant program, to address the bottleneck that is clinical placement sites for health students; $10 million for short-term recruitment of health care workers to deal with current and anticipated fall COVID wave shortages; $3 million for the existing school nurse grant program; and $2 million for wellness and peer support programs aimed at support and retention.
Health-care Preceptors Tax Credit | HB22-1005
Rankin / McCluskie & Will
Rural Colorado is facing a critical shortage of health care providers, which is why we passed this bill to modify and extend the $1,000 income tax credit available to health care preceptors working in health care professional shortage areas through tax year 2032.
Telehealth For Hearing Aid Providers | HB22-1076
Buckner / Lontine & Will
This bill allows hearing aid providers to prescribe, select, and fit hearing aids through telehealth. Currently the initial testing or first fitting must be done in person.
Cardiac Arrest Management | HB22-1251
Bridges / Roberts
This bill creates the Office of Sudden Cardiac Arrest Management in the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE). This office must collect data on sudden cardiac arrest, raise public awareness about sudden cardiac arrest and the use of public access defibrillators, maintain a list of training programs, and coordinate data regarding the location of public access defibrillators.
Health Benefits For Colorado Children And Pregnant Persons | HB22-1289
Moreno & Fields / McCluskie & Gonzales-Gutierrez
We need to ensure that every Coloradan, regardless of their background, can access the critical health care they need and deserve. This bill provides Medicaid coverage for pregnant people and children eligible for Medicaid and CHP+ if not for their immigration status. It requires the Colorado Department of Healthcare Policy & Financing (HCPF) to create a strategy to enroll eligible groups into new coverage options, makes lactation supports and supplies a covered Medicaid benefit, and draws down federal funds to improve perinatal and postpartum support.
Flexibility In Oral Health Program Funding | HB22-1292
Jaquez Lewis / Lindsay
This bill allows money from the tobacco master settlement agreement allocated to the state dental loan repayment program to be used for oral health programs administered by the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) in addition to tuition repayment for dentists and hygienists.
Increasing Affordability
Program Allowing Redispensing Of Unused Drugs | SB22-098
Rodriguez / Roberts & Will
Right now, too many of the prescription drugs Colordadans depend on are far too expensive for families to afford. This bill creates the Drug Repository Task Force in the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) to examine existing drug repository program models, and determine how to implement an efficient and effective drug repository program in Colorado.
Implementation of Fertility Coverage | HB22-1008
Fenberg & Winter / Soper & Tipper
Starting a family shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg. This bill clarifies that coverage for fertility services under large employer health plans is not subject to determination of whether the state will defray the cost of coverage. As a result, the Colorado Division of Insurance (DOI) must require large employer plans issued or renewed in the state to cover fertility services starting January 1, 2023. The bill requires fertility services coverage for individual and small group policies and contracts if the federal government determines that the state is not required to defray costs.
Prohibit Collection Hospital Not Disclosing Prices | HB22-1285
Moreno & Cooke / Esgar & Neville
According to federal law, hospitals are required to be transparent about the price of services they provide their patients. This bill prohibits a hospital from sending a patient with overdue medical debt to collections if the hospital was not in material compliance with federal price transparency laws when the patient received medical services. If a hospital is found to be out of compliance in this situation, the hospital cannot pursue the collection action and must pay a penalty.
Fee Relief for Nurses | HB22-1298
Hinrichsen & Jaquez Lewis / Mullica
Our health care heroes have faced immeasurable challenges over the last two years, but regardless of these challenges, they have stepped up to the plate every day to care for Coloradans. This bill will help alleviate the pressure essential workers have faced by providing licensure and certification fee relief for nurses, nurse aides, and psychiatric technicians. $11.7 million will be used to fund the State Board of Nursing expenses to regulate nurses, nurse aides, and psychiatric technicians starting in FY22-23 until the funds have been fully expended.
Coverage Requirements for Health-Care Products | HB22-1370
Winter & Buckner / Jodeh & Sirota
This bill modifies prescription drug coverages, prohibits changes in a health plan or pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) prescription drug coverage formulary during the plan year, and requires reporting and analysis on prescription drug rebates. Under this bill, by 2024 each health plan must show that 100% of prescription drug rebates it receives are used to reduce costs for the consumer.
Improving Safety & Transparency
Prescription Drug Monitoring Program | SB22-027
Smallwood & Rodriguez / Michaelson Jenet & Larson
Ongoing prescription drug misuse across Colorado requires us to take steps to improve our prescription drug practices to keep people safe. This bill seeks to address prescription drug misuse by requiring a prescriber to conduct a check with the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) prior to prescribing any opioid or benzodiazepine.
Actuarial Reviews Health Insurance Mandate Legislation | SB22-040
Smallwood & Winter / Will & LontineThis bill creates a process for actuarial review of legislation that creates new or reduces existing required coverage for state-regulated health insurance. The Colorado Division of Insurance (DOI) will hire a contractor that will conduct up to 6 reviews per session.
Provider Tool To View All-payer Claims Database | SB22-068
Rodriguez & Kolker / Woog & Lontine
Making health care reimbursement pricing data more accessible will arm providers and consumers with the information they need to make informed decisions, improve trust and transparency, and - ultimately - bring down health care costs and save Coloradans money. This bill accomplishes that goal by requiring the administrator of the All-Payer Health Claims Database to create a tool to facilitate the review of certain health claims reimbursement data that are included in the database to improve transparency around health insurance claims. The All-Payer Claims Database is a comprehensive database of health care claims across all Colorado health insurance carriers, including Medicaid, Medicare, and commercial payers.
Increasing Safety In Assisted Living Residences | SB22-154
Danielson / McCormick & Young
Older Coloradans should be treated with the utmost care and attention, but some assisted living facilities across our state are not doing their due diligence, and are getting away with abuse and neglect. This bill makes several changes regarding the oversight of assisted living residences, including adding protections for residents around the involuntary discharge process, tasking the State Board of Health with establishing a minimum standard for assisted living residence administrators, and lifting the low cap on the fines that can be levied against an assisted living residence for violations.
Program Of All-inclusive Care For The Elderly | SB22-203
Fields & Smallwood / Lontine & Soper
This bill tasks the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (HCPF) and the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) with developing a plan to provide formal oversight of the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) program, and with establishing and enforcing minimum standards and rules for this program.
License Supplemental Health-care Staffing Agencies | SB22-210
Zenzinger & Cooke / Lontine & Soper
Democrats are working overtime to address workforce shortages in the health care sector. This bill helps by establishing a regulatory and reporting structure for supplemental health care staffing agencies. The bill requires staffing agencies to be certified as employee leasing companies with the Colorado Department of Labor & Employment (CDLE). Failure to do so is a civil infraction, and CDLE may impose fines.
Ambulance Service Sustainability And State Licensing | SB22-225
Zenzinger & Liston / Roberts & Baisley
Currently ambulances are regulated at the local level. This bill requires an ambulance service to obtain a state license from the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) by July 1, 2024. The bill tasks the State Board of Health with developing minimum regulations for ambulance services, and tasks CDPHE with investigating any violations. The bill also creates a sustainability task force to provide recommendations on how to ensure these critical services reach all Coloradans.
Prescription Drug Monitoring Program | HB22-1115
Pettersen & Jaquez Lewis / Kipp & Soper
Ensuring proper use and disbursement of prescription drugs is a critical front in our effort to cut down on substance use disorder in Colroado. bill requires each prescriber and pharmacist, when they renew their license, to attest that they are a registered user of the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP). It also provides $2 million to the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) to allow prescribers and pharmacists to integrate the PDMP with patient electronic medical records.
Pharmacy Benefit Manager Prohibited Practices | HB22-1122
Jaquez Lewis / Will & Lindsay
This bill prohibits a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) from reimbursing a pharmacy for a prescription drug for less than a specified amount. It also enacts the "Colorado 340B Prescription Drug Program Anti-discrimination Act" which, among other things, prohibits a third party that reimburses a 340B covered entity (generally hospitals or providers that care for many uninsured and low-income patients) for 340B drugs from imposing fees, charge backs, or other adjustments on covered entities based on their participation in the 340B drug pricing program.
Health-care Sharing Plan Reporting Requirements | HB22-1269
Hansen / Lontine
When it comes to health care, information is power, which is why this bill requires the Commissioner of Insurance to oversee individuals offering health care sharing plans or arrangements that serve Colorado residents, and includes basic reporting requirements for these plans.
Health Insurance Surprise Billing Protections | HB22-1284
Gardner & Pettersen / Catlin & Esgar
We need to do everything we can to protect Coloradans from malicious surprise billing practices, and instead help them access the care they need while saving them money. This bill aligns Colorado law with recently passed federal legislation on surprise medical billing protections. The bill adds balance billing protections for post-stabilization services to ensure patients are protected from surprise bills until they can consent and be safely transferred to an in-network facility. It ensures that out-of-network providers and facilities provide notice to a consumer before a scheduled service, including an estimate of the total charges. And it allows an individual to request an independent external review to determine if the items or
services provided by an out-of-network provider or facility can be covered at an in-network level.
Stockpile For Declared Disaster Emergencies | HB22-1352
Jaquez Lewis / Mullica
Democrats are working hard to take lessons learned during the pandemic and apply them to ensure the same challenges can be avoided the next time we face a public health emergency. HB22-1352 will help Colorado prepare for future emergencies by maintaining a stockpile of essential materials and personal protective equipment (PPE) to be available for distribution after the governor has declared a disaster emergency. When needed, the Colorado Department of Public Safety (DPS) in consultation with the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) will distribute these materials to state agencies, local public health agencies, hospitals or other health-care providers, or to others in need.
Hospital Nurse Staffing Standards | HB22-1401
Moreno / Mullica
Every day, Colorado's nurses go above and beyond to save lives and keep our hospitals running. This bill creates regulations for nurse staffing levels in hospitals and requires hospitals to establish a nurse staffing committee by September 1, 2022. Each nurse staffing committee must develop a master nurse staffing plan, evaluate the plan on a quarterly basis, and establish a complaint and feedback process. The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) must investigate each hospital to ensure compliance with these standards.
Miscellaneous Health Care Legislation
Medical Assistance Income Eligibility Requirements |SB22-052
Jaquez Lewis / Mullica
This bill aligns Medicaid and CHP+ income eligibility requirements for pregnant women and children with federal law. This bill brings our statutes into alignment with current practice.
Health Facility Visitation During Pandemic | SB22-053
Sonnenberg / McLachlan & Geitner
SB22-053 requires that a patient in a healthcare facility (hospital, nursing home, or assisted living residence) may have at least one visitor during their stay/residency. It requires health-care facilities to have written policies and procedures regarding visitation rights.
Dementia Training Requirements CDPHE DHCPF Rules | SB22-079
Kolker & Ginal / Young & Froelich
We must do more to ensure that folks receive appropriate care in nursing facilities and assisted living residences. This bill requires the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) and the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (HCPF) to adopt rules requiring nursing care facilities, assisted living residences, and adult day care facilities to provide dementia training for staff providing direct care to residents and clients.
Create Colorado Rare Disease Advisory Council | SB22-186
Ginal & Simpson / Mullica & McKean
This bill creates the Colorado Rare Disease Advisory Council in the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) to study and make recommendations concerning the needs of individuals with rare diseases.
Protections For Donor-conceived Persons And Families | SB22-224
Fenberg & Gardner / Titone & Soper
This landmark legislation works to protect the rights of donor-conceived people by putting guardrails around assisted reproduction using donor gametes by: 1) Allowing for the donor identity to be released when the donor-conceived person turns 18, 2) Limiting the number of recipient families per gamete donor to ten, 3) Setting a minimum age of 21 to be a gamete donor, and 4) Requiring the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) to develop educational materials for donors and families.
Review Of Medicaid Provider Rates | SB22-236
Hansen & Rankin / McCluskie & Ransom
Current law requires the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (HCPF) to establish a schedule for a review of provider rates paid under Medicaid so that each provider rate is reviewed at least every 5 years and to provide the schedule to the JBC. Beginning August 1, 2023, the bill requires HCPF to establish a schedule so that each provider rate is reviewed at least every 3 years.
Medicaid Reimbursement For Therapy Using Equines | HB22-1068
Jaquez Lewis / McCormick & Lynch
Upon approval by the federal government, this bill makes Medicaid reimbursement available for therapy using equine movement by a physical therapist, occupational therapist, or speech-language pathologist.
Affirm Parentage Adoption In Assisted Reproduction | HB22-1153
Moreno & Bridges / Tipper & Esgar
New families shouldn’t have to worry about filling out paperwork to establish that they’re the parents of their own children. This bill allows parents to complete an adoption of a child when said child is conceived due to assisted reproduction and the person who did not give birth is the parent or presumed parent. Both parents must join the adoption petition.
Hospice Inpatient Unit Specialized Prescription Drug Outlet | HB22-1246
Buckner & Lontine
This bill allows a pharmacy within a hospice inpatient unit to register as a specialized prescription drug outlet.
Additional Requirements Nursing Facility Funding | HB22-1247
Rankin & Hansen / McCluskie & Herod
Colorado’s skilled nursing facilities need assistance, which is why this bill directs the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (HCPF) to issue supplemental payments, create reporting and tracking requirements for said payments, pursue federal matching funds, and engage with stakeholders to produce a report that includes ways to improve methodology, practices related to compassionate release of individuals from the Colorado Department of Corrections (DOC) facilities, and funding for nursing facilities.
Hospital Dispense Drugs To Sexual Assault Victims | HB22-1309
Winter & Jaquez Lewis / Froelich
Tihs bill allows a hospital employee to give a 7-day or 28-day supply of drugs for prophylaxis of STIs to an emergency room patient that is a victim of sexual assault. Currently, a hospital can only dispense a 3-day supply.
Increase Minimum Wage For Nursing Home Workers | HB22-1333
Rankin & Zenzinger / McCluskie & Herod
Under current law, only nursing facilities that are within a locality that has increased its local minimum wage are eligible to receive annual supplemental payments to increase the minimum wage for nursing facility employees up to the minimum wage set by the locality. The bill changes the definition of "eligible nursing facility provider" and makes other conforming changes to allow any Colorado nursing facility that meets the defined criteria to be eligible to receive wage enhancement supplemental payments, as defined in the bill, to increase the minimum wage for nursing facility employees to at least $15 per hour.
FDA-approved Prescription 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine Drug Use | HB22-1344
Ginal & Cooke / Ortiz & Neville
This bill states that if the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approves a prescription medicine that contains Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and if the medicine gets placed on the schedule of the federal "Controlled Substances Act" other than schedule I or has been exempted, then prescribing, dispensing, transporting, processing or using that prescription drug is legal in Colorado.