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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.

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.

Section 1332 of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) allows a state to apply for a state innovation waiver to pursue innovative strategies for providing its residents with access to high-quality, affordable health insurance while still retaining certain elements of the PPACA. This issue brief outlines the required components of a 1332 state innovation waiver, elements of federal law that can be waived, the application process for a waiver, and the monitoring and review process for an approved waiver.

The Public Benefits and Services Resource Manual is intended to serve as a reference guide for information on some of the state’s programs that provide direct benefits or services to members of the public. The manual is divided into four sections to make it easier for the reader to access information. The first section provides information on how to apply for certain public benefits using the Colorado PEAK website and county offices of human or social services.

Pursuant to the Health Care Affordability Act of 2009, Colorado collects a provider fee from most hospitals. The hospital provider fee (HPF) is matched with federal Medicaid dollars and used to reimburse hospitals for uncompensated care costs, pay for expansion populations under Medicaid and the Children’s Health Plan Plus, and cover administrative expenses associated with the fee.

In March 2010, the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), was adopted by the U.S. Congress and signed by the President. PPACA expanded health care coverage by increasing access to private health insurance and expanding eligibility for Medicaid. The law also increased regulations on health insurance providers, made changes to how the health insurance market operates, required individuals to have health care coverage, required employers to offer health insurance to employees, and established health insurance exchanges.

Colorado currently administers 11 Home-and Community-Based Services Medicaid (HCBS) Waivers. This issue brief discusses the six waivers available to adults. An issue brief entitled Medicaid Waiver Programs Part I – Home- and  Community-Based Services Medicaid Waivers for Children discusses the five waivers available to children.

Respite care provides temporary relief to a caregiver from the physical and emotional impacts of caring for a person with special needs who is unable or needs assistance to care for himself or herself. It can be provided for a few hours, overnight, or on an extended basis by a friend, family member, volunteer, paid service provider, or in a community-based care setting. This issue brief provides a brief overview of state-funded respite care services and information about the Respite Care Task Force, which met during the 2015 interim.

This memorandum provides information on recent trends in Medicaid caseload growth and drivers of state Medicaid expenditures. Included in this memorandum is a ten-year history and three years of projections for Colorado Medicaid caseloads, government expenditures, and expenditures per Medicaid enrollee. A summary of the factors that have historically driven growth in state Medicaid expenditures is also included.

The Legislative Council Staff's Health Care Resource Book is intended to serve as a reference guide for information on some of Colorado's major health care issues and programs.  The book is divided into two sections.

The first section covers health care spending; private health insurance regulation; the state’s health benefit exchange; an overview of public health care programs; and discussion of issues related to uninsured individuals.

Final Report to the Colorado General Assembly by the Opioid and Other Substance Use Disorders Interim Study Committee.

Senate Bill 17-267, enacted during the 2017 legislative session, changes many aspects of fiscal policy for the state.  This issue brief summarizes the bill’s principal components.

This is the final report for the 2016 Interim Committee

Vaccinations offer protection from common infectious diseases.  The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends specific vaccines for all infants, children, and adults during their lifetime to provide immunity from preventable illness.  A recent analysis estimated that for children born in a single year in the United States, vaccination prevented nearly 20 million cases of disease and over 40,000 deaths.

Presented to the Joint Health Committees.

Submitted herewith is the final report of the Colorado Health Insurance Exchange Oversight Committee. This committee was created pursuant to Article 22 of Title 10, Colorado Revised Statutes. The purpose of this committee is to guide Colorado's health insurance exchange, including reviewing the financial and operational plans of the exchange and approving the appointment of the executive director of the exchange.

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.

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.