Health Care Services Reserve Corps Task Force

The act creates the health-care services reserve corps task force (task force) in the department of public health and environment. The purpose of the task force is to evaluate and make recommendations on the creation of a health-care services reserve corps program (program), in which medical professionals could cross-train to be able to serve the state in an emergency or disaster and receive a benefit for their service.

The task force consists of at least 10 and no more than 11 members. The task force is required to consider and make findings and recommendations on issues including:

• The types of medical professionals who could participate in a health-care services reserve corps program, including how to ensure an appropriate cross section of providers;
• The types of emergencies and disasters for which the program could prepare and provide assistance, and whether the program could be deployed out of state;
• Any legal or regulatory obstacles to creating such a program;
• Liability protections for professionals and facilities participating in the program;
• Whether the program could be streamlined or integrated with existing programs or procedures;
• The types and hours of training that would be required;
• How to ensure the program and cross-training are accessible to rural medical professionals;
• The costs associated with the program;
• Issues related to insurance coverage and reimbursement;
• Consumer protections for patients being treated by the program;
• How the health-care services reserve corps would be deployed; and
• The type of benefit that could be offered and the amount, terms of, and funding for the benefit that participants would receive.

The task force is required to consult with medical and nursing schools in making recommendations related to the cross-training elements of the program and with additional stakeholders as necessary to address additional questions, including disaster response experts, affected state agencies, and entities with experience in medical malpractice insurance. The task force is authorized to consult with additional stakeholders with expertise in identifying the physical and mental health needs of Coloradans or in coordinating emergency response at the local, state, or federal level to identify additional questions for future consideration by the program. The task force is authorized to contract with an outside consultant to assist the task force in completing its work.

The task force is required to submit a report with its findings and recommendations to the house public health care and human services committee and the senate health and human services committee by December 1, 2023. The task force is required to meet at least once every 2 months. Task force members serve without compensation and are not eligible for reimbursement for expenses. The act is repealed effective September 1, 2024.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)