Health Committee Approves Moreno’s Bill to Bolster Community Benefit Health Services

Moreno: “House Bill 1243 works to ensure the public’s concerns are heard when hospitals are determining what benefits to provide to their community”

DENVER, CO – Majority Leader Dominick Moreno’s, D-Commerce City, bill to bolster community benefit health services across Colorado cleared the Senate Health and Human Services Committee today.

HB23-1243 would center hospitals’ community benefit spending around local under-privileged communities by incorporating community feedback into the community benefit implementation plan and restricting the amount of out-of-state spending that can be counted as “community benefit” spending.

The bill would also require each reporting hospital to seek feedback from their community during its annual proposed community benefit implementation plan, submit a detailed report about any discussions or decisions at the annual meeting, make the report public, and execute a community benefit plan that addresses the needs of the community as discussed in the annual meeting to better understand the impact community benefit spending has on the health of Coloradans.

“Non-profit hospitals have the opportunity to provide much needed benefits back to their community,” said Moreno. “House Bill 1243 works to ensure the public’s concerns are heard when hospitals are determining what benefits to provide to their community. This bill requires greater transparency from hospitals about what benefits are being funded and how community feedback is being implemented, ensuring Coloradans have access to the unique services they need.”

Under the bill, the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) would be required to hold stakeholder meetings to ensure low-income residents, people of color, people with disabilities, people with serious mental illness, and others experiencing disproportionate health outcomes are fairly represented in a hospital’s community benefit spending plan. 

HCPF would also create an annual report that summarizes the estimated federal and state tax exemptions of each reporting hospital, establish a minimum annual community investment requirement, and sets compliance requirements for hospitals. HCPF would be able to apply corrective action or fines for reporting hospitals that do not abide by the guidelines set by this bill. 

Additionally, the bill would enhance existing public meeting requirements and ensure representation from the tribal councils and Urban Indian Organizations who have hospitals within their communities.

HB23-1243 now heads to the Senate floor for further consideration. You can follow the bill’s progress HERE.