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Behavioral Health Transformation, Protection and Coverage
The Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (HCPF) is collaborating with other state agencies and stakeholders to develop a comprehensive, equitable, accountable and effective behavioral health safety net. This requires development of new policies and accompanying payment models to support a robust and diverse behavioral health provider network. Effective January 2024, the State Board of Human Services unanimously passed new Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) rules that update the definition of behavioral health providers, safety net services, and licensing for substance use and mental health providers.
Among other changes, community mental health centers will transition and Comprehensive Behavioral Health Safety Net Providers and Essential Behavioral Health Safety Net Providers will start to be approved. HCPF has created new Medicaid payment models that help ensure these organizations have flexible, sustainable funding that reflects the significant costs of safety net services. Comprehensive Behavioral Health Providers will have an increased focus on substance use, recovery, and whole person health. Essential Behavioral Health Providers will specialize in substance use disorder, opioid addiction and medication assisted treatment, families involved with child welfare, health related social needs, or serving those who have a history with the criminal justice system. Both will serve high priority populations. Thank you to the many providers, advocates, stakeholders and more who helped inform these rules and accompanying payment models, as part of achieving our shared goal of transforming the behavioral health system.
HCPF is also working with the legislature on significant commitments to support the families of youth with high-acuity behavioral health needs. We also welcome you to review our recently released behavioral health reports: 2023 Behavioral Health Annual Report, House Bill 23-1269 Directed Payment Legislative Report, Accountable Care Collaborative Implementation Report, and the Criminal Justice Coverage Reports. Please look for an invitation to register for our upcoming webinar on key behavioral health policies, initiatives and highlights from these recently released reports - all designed to transform our behavioral health system.
Our transformative behavioral health advances are also incorporated into our Accountable Care Collaborative (ACC) Phase III redesign work, which modernizes and advances our Medicaid care delivery approach beginning July 2025. The ACC Phase III Concept Stage Summary reflects responses from >1,100 attendees at >30 stakeholder sessions and >160 responses to our online feedback survey between August 2023 to October 2023. After careful consideration of the available data, stakeholder feedback and collaboration with the BHA, HCPF is moving forward with the four-region map, as proposed in the Concept Paper for ACC Phase III. Over the past six months, HCPF has held stakeholder meetings with more than 1,000 attendees to inform this decision. We also published our ACC legislative report Dec. 1, which reviews performance for the last fiscal year.
HCPF’s fiscal year 2024-25 budget includes about $1.2 billion Total Funds allocated to behavioral health. Visit our legislator resource center to learn more about how our budget invests in behavioral health.
As winter is upon us, remember that vaccination is the best way to protect individuals from flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), COVID-19, and other preventable infections. There is no out of pocket cost for Health First Colorado and CHP+ members, for appropriate vaccines; those who need help making a COVID-19 vaccine appointment may call 1-800-232-0233. Health First Colorado members who need help finding a ride to a vaccine appointment can use the Non-Emergent Medical Transportation benefit. And feel free to leverage resources in these CDPHE toolkits on flu, RSV and COVID-19 and childhood and adolescent immunizations to achieve our shared health and wellness goals.
To Keep Coloradans Covered, please continue to use our prepared toolkits, available in the top 11 languages used by our members, to help people complete the renewal process or transition to other affordable health coverage: Update Your Address, Understanding the Renewal Process and Take Action on Your Renewal. Employers can post these flyers to remind employees about Health First Colorado renewals and where appropriate, transitioning to employer-sponsored coverage.
Last, to keep up with the evolving discussions on HCPF’s overall fiscal year 2024-25 budget, feel free to listen to HCPF’s Dec. 19 Joint Budget Committee budget hearing.
Best wishes for an enjoyable and healthy holiday season!
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