Governor Polis Signs Ginal-Moreno Bill to Make Primary Care More Affordable into Law

May 16, 2019

Denver, CO – Governor Jared Polis today signed into law HB19-1233, Investments in Primary Care to Reduce Health Costs, a bill sponsored by Senators Joann Ginal (D-Fort Collins) and Dominick Moreno (D-Commerce City) that will invest in making primary care more affordable for Coloradans.“If we’re going to address the high cost of healthcare and effectively meet the needs of patients, we need to make sure primary care is being utilized and properly resourced,” said Senator Ginal. “This bill will bring down primary healthcare costs and I am proud that it was signed into law today.”“This is just one of many ways in which we worked this session to make healthcare more affordable for Colorado families,” said Senator Moreno. “Sacrificing quality primary care because premiums are too expensive is a dangerous move when it comes to Coloradans’ health and to our economy in the long run.”HB19-1233 would create a primary care payment reform collaborate and require the insurance commissioner to establish affordability standards for premiums. It would also require the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, as well as carriers who offer plans to state employees, to set specific investment targets for primary care.The bill passed the Colorado House of Representatives on April 16, 2019 by a vote of 45-19 and passed the Senate on April 27, 2019 by a vote of 21-13. The House concurred with Senate amendments and repassed the House by a vote of 46-19 on April 30, 2019.For more information on this legislation, please visit https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb19-1233.