Denver, Colorado – The House of Representatives today passed three bills to improve health care access in Colorado.
SB24-110, sponsored by Rep. Judy Amabile and Rep. Emily Sciorta, would save Coloradans money on prescription drugs. SB24-034, sponsored by Rep. Mandy Lindsay and Rep. Lorena Garcia, would expand the existing school-based health center grant program to include telehealth services and mobile health units. SB24-116, sponsored by Rep. Iman Jodeh, would expand health insurance for low-income people.
“License requirements for antipsychotics may require patients to limit the amount of their prescriptions or skip doses altogether, which can make recovery difficult.” said Rep. Judy Amabile (D-Boulder). “Importantly, this bill would remove unnecessary licensing requirements for some antipsychotic drugs, allowing Coloradans with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, and other mental health disorders to use them when they need them. This will allow you to receive your medication.”
“Prior authorization requirements prevent Coloradans with severe mental health conditions from getting the prescription medications they need when they need them.” said Rep. Emily Sciorta, D-Denver. “This bill removes access barriers and ensures Coloradans receive their antipsychotic prescriptions on time.”
SB24-110, passed the House of Commons by a vote of 57 to 5, requiring prescription antipsychotic drugs used to treat mental illnesses and disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder to require prior approval from the Department of Health Policy and Finance. The aim is to make it easily available to patients without having to pay for it. .
“The School-Based Health Center Grant Program will help provide quality health care services to youth to meet the needs of students across the state.” said Rep. Mandy Lindsey, D-Aurora.. “Our bill expands this important program to include telehealth services, ensuring that all students seeking care can receive it in a way that works and is convenient for them.”
“Expanding access to health care is especially important for students and young people.” said Democratic state Rep. Lorena Garcia of unincorporated Adams County. “This bill expands the School-Based Health Center Grant Program to ensure students, regardless of their zip code, have access to the medical, behavioral, oral, and preventive care they need.”
SB24-034 Expanding the successful school-based health center grant program to include telehealth services and mobile health units is expected to pass the House by a vote of 45-17. School-based health centers are located in schools throughout Colorado and provide primary and behavioral health care. To children and young people. Under current law, the School-Based Health Center Grant Program supports the establishment, expansion, and continued operation of school-based health centers. If passed, SB24-034 would allow the program to work alongside other school-related programs, such as telemedicine and mobile medical units.
“We need to ensure that all Coloradans have access to the health care they need, when they need it.” said Rep. Iman Jodeh, an Aurora Democrat. “This bill expands health coverage for low-income Coloradans by allowing hospitals to make presumptive eligibility determinations. , so they can get the care they need.”
SB24-116, sponsored by Congressman Jode and passed by a vote of 46-16, expands health insurance coverage for low-income Coloradans. Specifically, the bill would amend the requirements for the Presumptive Eligibility Program and for indigent patients receiving discounted treatment under the Department of Health Care Policy and Finance (HCPF). Currently, HCPF and the Denver Health Department are the only agencies that can make presumptive eligibility determinations. This bill would allow hospitals to make these decisions.
Additionally, the bill makes changes to requirements for indigent patients receiving medical care.
Caregiving discounts for services not reimbursed through the Colorado Indigent Care Program (CICP)
include:
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Require patients to prove Colorado residency.
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Set a price limit on a blanket invoice that matches the current individual invoice limit.
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Authorizes health care providers to deny discounted treatment to patients if the patient is determined to be presumptively eligible for Medicaid during initial screening.
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Clarify that the health care professional providing the services is responsible for billing the patient for those services, unless the services are billed under a comprehensive bill.
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However, primary care provided by clinics in rural or remote counties does not offer a sliding fee scale for receiving discounted care.
