Legislative Roundup Four: What We’re Watching

April 12, 2013
Legislation and Policy

With less than four weeks left in the 2013 session, it is crunch time at the Capitol. Lawmakers are scrambling to get their bills passed before closing day on May 8. We expect several health care bills will be introduced in the coming weeks.

Below is a recap of the bills that have been introduced since our last legislative roundup. We have also updated the list of bills we are monitoring to reflect their progress. Stay tuned as we anticipate more last-minute health-related bills to come.   

Bills introduced since our last roundup:

SB 13-200: Expand Medicaid Eligibility
Sponsors: Rep. Mark Ferrandino (D) and Sen. Irene Aguilar (D)
Status: Senate Second Reading Expected April 12

  • Amends the optional eligibility groups in Colorado's Medicaid program to increase the income eligibility levels for parents and adults without dependent children to 133 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) in conjunction with the Affordable Care Act.

SB 13-222: Improve Access to Childhood Immunizations
Sponsors: Rep. Dan Pabon (D) and Sen. Irene Aguilar (D)
Status: Referred Amended to Senate Appropriations

  • Removes the barrier to establishing a vaccine purchasing system in the state. The bill also authorizes the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to examine options for statewide purchasing of vaccines and, if developed, to use the immunization fund to purchase vaccines through a vaccine purchasing system.
  • Permits the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) to purchase vaccines recommended by the federal advisory committee on immunization practices (ACIP) through a vaccine purchasing system, if developed, for children enrolled in the Children’s Basic Health Plan

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

  • Requires HCPF to design and implement a dental benefit for adults in the Medicaid program and creates the adult dental fund. The bill authorizes the treasurer to transfer principal and interest from the unclaimed property trust fund to the adult dental fund for use in implementing the dental benefit.

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

  • Creates a constitutional amendment to establish a Colorado health care cooperative to provide health care through a statewide system. The resolution imposes a payroll premium on employers and employees and a premium on non employment-related income and submits a ballot question to the voters asking if taxes should be increased for the purpose of funding the health care cooperative.

SB 13-SJR021: Interim Committee to Study Health Care
Sponsors: Rep. Joann Ginal (D) and Sen. Irene Aguilar (D)
Status: Senate Third Reading Laid Over Daily

  • Creates an interim legislative committee to study and analyze ways to create a unique Colorado health care system that provides affordable and comprehensive coverage to all Coloradans.

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

  • Allows the exchange to assess a monthly fee on small group and individual health insurers to help ensure the long-term financial sustainability of the organization. Also creates a tax credit for insurance carriers that make a contribution to the exchange, designed to encourage insurers to make voluntary donations to COHBE.

HB 13-1266: Health Insurance Alignment with Federal Law
Sponsors: Rep. Beth McCann (D), Rep. Bob Gardner (R) and Sen. Irene Aguilar (D)
Status: Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Health & Human Services

  • Aligns Colorado law with the federal Affordable Care Act to give the Colorado insurance commissioner the necessary authority to regulate health insurers with respect to new requirements of the federal law.

Updated status on bills we’ve been watching:

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 CGIA
Sponsors: Sen. Bill Cadman (R) and Sen. John Morse (D)
Status: Signed by Speaker of the House

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 Second Reading Laid Over Daily

SB 13-137: Improving Medicaid Fraud Detection
Sponsors: Sen. Ellen Roberts (R)
Status: Referred Amended to House Floor

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: Referred Unamended to Senate Appropriations (Vote in Committee: 4 yes, 3 no)

HB 13-1015: Disclose Mental Health Claims to All-payer 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: Passed House Third Reading

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