Colorado health advocates presented to the Joint Budget Committee on glitch-plagued Public Health Emergency Unwind.
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Addressing economic challenges at the individual and state level after the 2024 Colorado legislative session.
CCLP’s 2024 legislative wrap-up, part 2
CCLP's 2024 legislative wrap-up focused on expanding access to justice, removing administrative burden, supporting progressive tax and wage policies, preserving affordable communities, and reducing health care costs. Part 2/2.
CCLP’s 2024 legislative wrap-up, part 1
CCLP's 2024 legislative wrap-up focused on expanding access to justice, removing administrative burden, supporting progressive tax and wage policies, preserving affordable communities, and reducing health care costs.
Updates on public health emergency & case management redesign eligiblity crisis
![Drawing of a bullhorn making noise with white chalk on a black chalkboard background.](https://copolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/bullhorn-chalkboard-AdobeStock_214972962.png)
For many months, CCLP has been raising concerns about the steep losses in coverage in Colorado during the unwinding of the Medicaid continuous coverage provision, and the particularly harsh impact on Coloradans with disabilities. On February 21, 2024, CCLP and the National Health Law Program filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights and the U.S. Department of Justice. The complaint alleges discrimination against individuals with disabilities by Colorado’s Medicaid agency, the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF). We argue that recent changes in HCPF’s case management procedures and software, changes collectively known as Case Management Redesign, resulted in improper coverage terminations, service delays, and confusion among enrollees.
On March 13, 2024, HCPF announced new policies meant to stabilize the Long Term Supports and Services community’s crises. CCLP is pleased that policy changes are being made and that HCPF is acknowledging the many problems that disability advocates have raised with them. HCPF has also launched a website with more information. While CCLP is hopeful, these changes will unfold over a period of weeks or months, and it is not yet clear whether and when the changes will have the desired impact. CCLP and community advocates will be monitoring closely.
Despite these new policies, if you have been enrolled in Medicaid and learn that you or your family member no longer qualifies for Medicaid, you should file an appeal. An appeal is the only certain and speedy way to ensure that you can keep your coverage while any problems are worked out. HCPF has confirmed it is important to appeal any decision you disagree with and that no one should discourage you from taking that step. Information on how to file an appeal should be included in the letters that Health First Colorado (Colorado’s Medicaid program) sends about coverage, and CCLP has resources that can help with the appeals process. Please click here for more.
Please stay tuned as we continue to learn from community advocates about ongoing challenges and the effects of the new policies.