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Section 10-22-107, C.R.S., establishes the Colorado Health Insurance Exchange Oversight Committee (oversight committee) for guiding the implementation of the Colorado Health Benefit Exchange, which currently does business under the name Connect for Health Colorado (exchange), and making recommendations to the General Assembly.

Report No. 2025-TE1

Section 10-22-107, C.R.S., establishes the Colorado Health Insurance Exchange Oversight Committee (oversight committee) for guiding the implementation of the Colorado Health Benefit Exchange, which currently does business under the name Connect for Health Colorado (exchange), and making recommendations to the General Assembly.

This memorandum provides an overview on the federal immigration system, Colorado’s role in immigration, and patterns of immigration in the state and nationally. It then discusses the impact of immigration on different sectors of the economy and state government programs and services, and highlights recent state legislation to address these issues.

Many pieces of legislation regarding health care and health insurance made their way through the 74^th General Assembly. Most of the legislation fell into the following categories: removing barriers to treatment, and licensing requirements.

Health insurance is a method of paying or receiving reimbursement for health care costs from covered services. Health insurance companies spread the costs and risk of covered health care services across all members of a plan in exchange for premiums and other cost-sharing mechanisms, such as deductibles and copayments. These rates are actuarially determined and set at a level that covers the estimated health care costs incurred by all members of the group. This issue brief provides an overview of the health insurance market in Colorado and federal and state health insurance regulations.

Addressing the substance use disorder epidemic and providing behavioral health resources to communities throughout Colorado were the two major behavioral health care themes that emerged during the Second Regular Session of the 74th General Assembly. Important behavioral health bills are discussed below.

Prior authorization—sometimes referred to as preauthorization or precertification—is a process by which an insurer reviews a request for health care services or drugs before consenting to cover the costs of the proposed treatment. Upon receiving a request, an insurer can approve or deny the request, or request additional information from the patient or their health care provider. Health insurers may require prior authorization for a variety of reasons, including cost control and verification of medical necessity.

Report No. 2025-TE4

The 75^th General Assembly passed numerous pieces of legislation regarding public health. While not all of the public health legislation fell into these groups, three major themes for public health were: emergency preparedness, education and transparency, and behavioral health.

The Health Care Affordability Act of 2009, House Bill 09-1293, authorized the collection of a provider fee from most Colorado hospitals. Senate Bill 17-267 created the Colorado Healthcare Affordability and Sustainability Enterprise (CHASE) under the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF).

Many pieces of legislation regarding health care and health insurance made their way through the 75^th General Assembly. The majority of the legislation fell into the following categories: Medicaid, health insurance, access to care, pharmacy and prescription services, rural safety net, abortion, and gender identity.

Medicaid is a joint federal and state insurance program that provides health care coverage to low-income families and individuals, including children, pregnant people, seniors, and people with disabilities. The federal government establishes general rules and policies for Medicaid, including required services and eligible populations, and each state administers its own Medicaid program.

Medicaid is a joint federal and state insurance program that provides health care coverage to low-income families and individuals, including children, pregnant people, seniors, and people with disabilities. Colorado’s Medicaid program is known as Health First Colorado and is administered by the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF). This memorandum provides an overview of recent Medicaid changes under H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). For additional information, see LCS’s memo providing an Overview of Colorado’s Medicaid Program.

This memorandum provides an overview of Colorado’s Medical Aid-in-Dying law, which legalized the practice of prescribing medical aid-in-dying medication to eligible terminally ill patients in Colorado.

Colorado’s Medicaid program, Health First Colorado, is administered by the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF). HCPF contracts with Regional Accountable Entities (RAEs), to coordinate health care for Medicaid members. This issue brief provides an overview of RAEs.

The committee studies the implementation of Colorado's health exchange. It reviews and approves grants applied for by the exchange's board of directors to implement the exchange, approves the exchange's executive director, and recommends legislation on the operation of the exchange.

Colorado currently administers ten Home- and Community-Based Services Medicaid (HCBS) Waivers. This issue brief discusses the four waivers available to children.

Colorado currently administers ten Home and Community-Based Services Medicaid (HCBS) Waivers. This issue brief discusses the six waivers available to adults.

The Interim Committee on Opiod and other Substance Use Disorders was created pursuant to Section 10-22.3-101.  

Report No. 2023-TE18

Pursuant to Section 10‑16-221, C.R.S., the Statewide Health Care Review Committee was created to study health care issues across the state.

Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that provides health benefits and services to Coloradans who meet eligibility requirements. Each state administers its own Medicaid program, and the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) set standards for the program to receive federal financial participation. The Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) oversees Colorado’s Medicaid. This issue brief summarizes the process to add benefits under Medicaid.

Many bills were introduced this year addressing health care and the insurance industry in Colorado. Recurring topics this session including reproductive health care, hospital and facility policies, prescription drugs, and consumer protections.

Report No. 2023-TE11