Legislative Roundup Five: What We’re Watching

May 3, 2013
Legislation and Policy

With just days left in the 2013 session, the pace at the Capitol is frenzied. Floor sessions have been dragging late into the night – sometimes lasting until the wee hours of the morning – as legislators work furiously to get through the remaining 100-plus bills. 

This recaps the bills that have made progress since our last legislative roundup. This will be our final roundup of the session, but keep an eye out for our annual Legislation in Review report, scheduled to come out later this month.   

Bills introduced since our last roundup:

HB 13-1290: Modernize Stop-loss Health Insurance
Sponsors: Rep. Beth McCann (D) and Sen. Irene Aguilar (D)
Status: Referred Unamended to Senate Floor

  • Changes the law regulating stop-loss health insurance. These policies provide protection to self-insured small employers by covering medical claims incurred above a certain dollar amount, known as an “attachment point.” The bill increases the minimum attachment point from $15,000 to $20,000 and prohibits companies from having different attachment points for different employees.

HB 13-1296: Civil Commitments Task Force
Sponsors: Rep. Tracy Kraft-Tharp (D), Rep. Beth McCann (D) and Sen. Linda Newell (D)
Status: Senate Second Reading – Laid Over Daily

  • Creates a task force to study civil commitments and prepare recommendations concerning the implementation of the consolidation of the mental health, alcohol and substance use disorders statutes related to civil commitments.

HB 13-1306: Mental Health Task Force
Sponsors: Rep. Beth McCann (D) and Sen. Nancy Todd (D)
Status: Assigned to Senate Business, Labor and Technology Committee

  • Creates a task force to advise the General Assembly regarding issues surrounding the loss, maintenance and restoration of the right to purchase and possess firearms by persons who, as a result of mental health issues, alcohol abuse, or substance abuse, are clearly dangerous to the health and safety of themselves or others.

HB 13-1309: Health Insurance Coverage For Breast Imaging
Sponsors: Rep. Diane Primavera (D) and Sen. Jeanne Nicholson (D)
Status: Senate Health and Human Services Committee – Postponed Indefinitely

  • Requires all health insurance policies to provide coverage for breast imaging for all individuals possessing at least one risk factor for breast cancer, including a family history of breast cancer, being 40 or older, or a genetic predisposition to breast cancer. Preventive breast imaging is not subject to copayments, deductibles or coinsurance.

HB 13-1314: Transfer Developmental Disabilities To HCPF
Sponsors: Rep. Claire Levy (D), Rep. Cheri Gerou (R) and Sen. Mary Hodge (D)
Status: Referred Amended to Senate Floor

  • Transfers the Department of Human Services (DHS) programs relating to the services and supports for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities to the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) on March 1, 2014.

HB 13-1315: Higher Ed Undergrad Student Health Insurance Requirement
Sponsors: Rep. Randy Fischer (D) and Sen. John Kefalas (D)
Status: Referred Unamended to Senate Floor

  • Institutions of higher education can’t require undergraduate students to purchase health insurance. This bill repeals that prohibition.

SB 13-261: Oral Health Community Programs
Sponsors: Rep. Beth McCann (D) and Sen. Jeanne Nicholson (D)
Status: Passed House Second Reading

  • Repeals the current dental assistance and water fluoridation programs in the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and replaces them with a consolidated oral health community grants program.

SB 13-264: Develop Rural Family Medicine Residency Programs
Sponsors: Rep. Michael McLachlan (D), Rep. Edward Vigil (D), Sen. Irene Aguilar (D) and Sen. John Kefalas (D)
Status: Referred Unamended to House Floor

  • Requires the Commission on Family Medicine to support the development of rural family medicine residency programs.

SB 13-266: Coordinated Behavioral Health Crisis Response System
Sponsors: Rep. Tracy Kraft-Tharp (D), Rep. Dave Young (D), Sen. Irene Aguilar (D) and Sen. Jeanne Nicholson (D)
Status: Referred Unamended to House Floor

  • Directs DHS to issue a request for proposals to create a statewide coordinated behavioral health crisis response system, including a 24-hour telephone hotline, walk-in crisis services and stabilization units, mobile crisis services, residential and respite crisis services and a public information campaign.

SB 13-277: Prior Authorization Process for Drug Benefits
Sponsors: Rep. Joann Ginal (D) and Sen. Irene Aguilar (D)
Status: Referred Amended to House Floor

  • Requires the Commissioner of Insurance to develop a uniform prior authorization process for submitting and receiving requests for prior coverage approval of a drug benefit.

Updated status on bills we’ve been watching:

House Bills:

HB 13-1006: K-12 Breakfast After The Bell Nutrition Program
Sponsors: Rep. Dominick Moreno (D), Rep. Thomas Exum Sr. (D) and Sen. Angela Giron (D)
Status: Sent to Governor

HB 13-1015: Disclose Mental Health Claims to All-Payer Claims Database
Sponsors: Rep. Tracy Kraft-Tharp (D) and Sen. John Kefalas (D)
Status: Signed by Governor

HB 13-1063: Emergency Service Providers Critical Care Endorsement
Sponsors: Rep. Leroy Garcia (D) and Sen. Angela Giron (D)
Status: Signed by Governor

HB 13-1068: On-site Inspections Of Medicaid Providers
Sponsors: Rep. Dave Young (D) and Sen. Ellen Roberts (R)
Status: Signed by Governor

HB 13-1115: CoverColorado Repeal
Sponsors: Rep. Beth McCann (D), Sen. Ellen Roberts (R) and Sen. Pat Steadman (D)
Status: House Concurred with Senate Amendments

HB 13-1196: Report Waste-Prevention Methods of Accountable Care Collaborative
Sponsors: Rep. Amy Stephens (R)
Status: Passed Senate Third Reading

HB 13-1245: Funding Colorado Health Benefit Exchange
Sponsors: Rep. Beth McCann (D) and Sen. Pat Steadman (D)
Status: Referred Unamended to Senate Floor

HB 13-1266: Health Insurance Alignment with Federal Law
Sponsors: Rep. Beth McCann (D), Rep. Bob Gardner (R) and Sen. Irene Aguilar (D)
Status: House Concurred Senate Amendments

Senate Bills:

SB 13-008: Eliminate Waiting Period Under CHP+
Sponsors: Rep. Beth McCann (D) and Sen. Linda Newell (D)
Status: Signed by Governor

SB 13-023: Increase Damages Caps Under Colorado Governmental Immunity Act
Sponsors: Sen. Bill Cadman (R) and Sen. John Morse (D)
Status: Signed by Governor

SB 13-111: Require Reports Of Elder Abuse And Exploitation
Sponsors: Rep. Sue Schafer (D), Rep. Amy Stephens (R) and Sen. Evie Hudak (D)
Status: Senate Concurred House Amendments

SB 13-137: Improving Medicaid Fraud Detection
Sponsors: Sen. Ellen Roberts (R)
Status: Senate Concurred House Amendments

SB 13-200: Expand Medicaid Eligibility
Sponsors: Rep. Mark Ferrandino (D) and Sen. Irene Aguilar (D)
Status: Sent to Governor

SB 13-222: Improve Access to Childhood Immunizations
Sponsors: Rep. Dan Pabon (D) and Sen. Irene Aguilar (D)
Status: Passed House Second Reading

SB 13-242: Adult Dental Medicaid Benefit
Sponsors: Rep. Dianne Primavera (D) and Sen. Jeanne Nicholson (D)
Status: Referred Amended to House Floor

SB 13-SCR002: Colorado Health Care Cooperative
Sponsors: Rep. Joann Ginal (D) and Sen. Irene Aguilar (D)
Status: Senate Second Reading - Laid Over to January 8, 2014

SB 13-SJR021: Interim Committee to Study Health Care
Sponsors: Rep. Joann Ginal (D) and Sen. Irene Aguilar (D)
Status: Assigned to House Health, Insurance and Environment and Legislative Council