medicaid
-
Medicaid spending surge for therapy sessions prompts Colorado to reinstate limits
Colorado’s health agency will reinstate prior authorization requirements for Medicaid patients’ therapy sessions next year as part of its efforts to control costs, which soared following a state law passed in 2022. That year, the state legislature adopted a bill prohibiting health plans from requiring prior authorization for psychotherapy sessions for Medicaid recipients. While the…
-
Parents, advocates sue Gov. Jared Polis, Colorado health agency over cuts to autism services
The Colorado government is facing a lawsuit from a behavioral health association over cuts to autism funding. After the passage of the Congressional budget in July, Gov. Jared Polis and lawmakers had cut more than $250 million from the state budget to help fill a $783 million deficit. About a third of those cuts came…
-
Colorado legislators wrap up special session to plug $800 million budget deficit
Colorado’s legislators on Tuesday wrapped up their work following a special session that sought to plug an $800 million budget deficit. They adopted a slew of tax measures intended to shore up state revenue and confirmed the governor’s authority to make spending reductions. But the legislators didn’t actually cut any spending themselves, despite the governor…
-
Colorado health officials unveil plan to soften impact of federal cuts to Medicaid
Colorado’s health officials on Tuesday unveiled a plan to tackle changes to Medicaid outlined in a Congressional budget — with the goal of avoiding “draconian” cuts to the health program. Ultimately, a big part of that strategy is to reduce the demand for Medicaid in the long term, officials said. Signed into law on July…
-
How much did the Colorado state government spend in 2022?
Colorado spent more than $45 billion in fiscal year 2022, roughly half of which were federal dollars, according to a recent state audit. The Office of the State Auditor said that, for the most part, its review found unmodified or “clean” opinions on the financial statements of Colorado’s activities. “This means that these financial statements…
-
Judge tosses disability discrimination lawsuit against state’s Medicaid contractor
A physician has failed to show his disability was the reason a state contractor moved to terminate his employment, a federal judge ruled, finding instead there were legitimate concerns from government employees about the doctor’s performance. Stephen Gorshow sued eQHealth Solutions LLC, his former employer, alleging it violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by taking…
-
State Supreme Court averts ‘immediate negative impacts’ to government agencies, reverses appeals court
After a coalition of state government departments warned the Colorado Supreme Court that there could be dire consequences to public health and safety if it let a lower court’s ruling stand, the justices agreed that governmental agencies do not have a mere 35 days to request judicial enforcement of their regulatory orders. The ruling on…
-
Lawmakers give bill allowing hospital visits another chance after heartbreaking testimony from families affected by COVID
Richard Gillham, a resident of Peetz in northern Logan County, was a farmer all his life. Rim Ranch, which his family owns, is one of Colorado’s Centennial farms, a designation awarded to farms that have been in the same family for at least 100 years. He loved his wife of 48 years, Nita, and adored…
-
State mental health safety net is ‘failing’ Coloradans. Will planned reforms fix or further the problems?
This investigation is part of the ongoing “On Edge” series about Colorado’s mental health by the Colorado News Collaborative, the nonprofit that unites more than 160 communities and news outlets like ours to ensure quality news for all Coloradans. The series title reflects a state that has the nation’s highest rate of adult mental illness…
-
Colorado-based health care provider for seniors sanctioned over failure to deliver services
In twin actions, federal and state officials on Thursday suspended enrollment by elderly Coloradans with the state’s largest provider of community-based home health care after concluding the company failed to deliver medically necessary services to patients. Officials with the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) told the president and CEO of Denver-based InnovAge on Wednesday that the agency…