For the 770,000 uninsured individuals living in Colorado, the health care safety net is a critical health care resource, yet the overall status of some of Colorado's health care safety net providers is largely unknown. Many safety net organizations and members of the health policy community, including the Colorado Health Institute (CHI), aspire to increase their understanding of the role these organizations play in providing health care service to the un- and underinsured families and individuals in Colorado's diverse communities.

Amendment 35 funding for clinics serving uninsured and indigent patients has provided impetus for understanding the population and service dynamics of safety net clinics. Approved by voters in 2004, Amendment 35 to the Colorado Constitution increases the sales tax on cigarettes and other tobacco products. The revenue collected is to be distributed according to guidelines specified in House Bill (HB) 1262, Statutes of 2005. Approximately 19 percent of the revenues will be distributed via a Primary Care Fund (PCF) to primary health care providers that meet certain requirements and conform to rules proposed by the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) and adopted by the Medical Services Board.