health care
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Colorado shifts vaccine authority to state as Trump administration revises childhood framework
As the Trump administration rolls out a revised childhood vaccine framework, Colorado’s law allowing the state to set its own immunization schedule has now taken effect. Issued Monday, President Donald Trump’s executive order separates childhood and adolescent vaccines into three categories: those recommended for all children, certain high-risk groups and “based on shared clinical decision-making.”…
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Colorado lawmakers start crafting strategy to manage $200 million in federal rural health funds
Colorado officials have begun to strategize as the state is set to receive hundreds of millions of dollars from a federal program meant to boost rural health. Cristen Bates, deputy Medicaid director at the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, told members of the legislature’s new Commission on Medicaid that Colorado is poised to…
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Colorado health officials say federal budget adds pressure to already stressed system
As the first anniversary of H.R. 1 approaches, Colorado Democrats and hospital executives say the law’s Medicaid reductions and eligibility rules are accelerating financial stress in a system where many facilities were already operating on the brink. Signed by President Trump on July 4 last year, H.R. 1, which the president has nicknamed the “one…
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Colorado candidates for governor share plans to tackle youth mental health crisis
Three candidates for Colorado’s highest elected office laid out their plans to address the state’s youth mental health crisis during a forum on Thursday. Democratic Attorney General Phil Weiser, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, and Republican State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer fielded questions about expanding access to mental health care for children, addressing the workforce shortage, and…
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Colorado advocates unveil youth mental-health ‘playbook’ for next governor
Colorado youth‑mental‑health advocates have released a new “playbook,” urging the next governor to streamline the state’s sprawling system of services and appoint a single leader to oversee them. In addition to hosting a gubernatorial candidate forum on Thursday, Mind Our Future Colorado released the playbook, which includes recommendations for how the state’s next leader can…
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Colorado legislature pushes AI rules targeting health care, therapy and chatbots
With just days left in the 2026 legislative session, Colorado lawmakers are rushing a trio of artificial intelligence bills to Gov. Jared Polis, aiming to set rules on artificial intelligence in the areas of health care, therapy and consumer-facing chatbots. As technology advances at breakneck speed, lawmakers have been scrambling to establish regulations, particularly regarding…
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Colorado eyes licensure, new oversight body for autism therapy providers
A panel of Colorado legislators on Wednesday approved a bill establishing a new regulatory body and licensure requirements for professionals who provide therapy for children on the autism spectrum, as well as for the facilities in which they work. House Bill 1425 creates the Colorado Behavior Analyst Board within the Department of Regulatory Agencies and…
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Democrats want Colorado colleges to provide abortion medication
A bill proposing to require Colorado colleges and universities to provide abortion medication services cleared a legislative committee on Thursday. Advocates said the measure — which exempts religious-based institutions but applies to public, private, and community colleges — will improve access to abortion, while opponents argue it would force educational institutions to take a side…
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Colorado legislators drove up cost of Medicaid program
Some of Colorado’s spending woes in Medicaid can be traced to lawmakers who had approved new or expanded programs in the last few years, driving up state costs to the tune of tens of millions of dollars. Just three measures passed in the past five years, for example, would cost the state more than $80…
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Colorado lawmakers approve $150,000 ibogaine study bill targeting PTSD and addiction
The Colorado House Health and Human Services Committee advanced a bill that would create a $150,000 research pilot program to study the safety and effectiveness of ibogaine, a psychoactive compound that claims to treat post-traumatic stress disorder, opioid addiction, and other mental health conditions. The bill ultimately passed on a 12-1 committee vote, with Rep.…