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S_HHS_2022A 01/26/2022 01:31:58 PM Committee Summary

PUBLIC
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING
JOINT COMMITTEE COMMITTEE ON JOINT HEALTH
Date 01/26/2022
Attendance
Amabile X
Baisley *
Bradfield X
Buckner E
Cutter *
Ginal X
Gonzales-Gutierrez *
Hanks *
Holtorf X
Jaquez Lewis X
Jodeh *
Kennedy X
Kirkmeyer E
Lontine X
McCormick X
Mullica X
Neville X
Ortiz X
Pelton X
Ricks *
Simpson X
Sirota X
Smallwood X
Soper *
Titone X
Williams E
Young X
Fields *
Michaelson Jenet X
Time 01:31:58 PM to 05:32:28 PM
Place Old State Library
This Meeting was called to order by Michaelson Jenet
This Report was prepared by Amanda King
Hearing Items Action Taken
Presentation from the Office of the State Auditor Committee Discussion Only
Presentation from the Department of Local Affairs Committee Discussion Only
Presentation from the Division of Insurance Committee Discussion Only
SMART Act Presentation from the Department of Public Health and Environment Committee Discussion Only
Public Testimony on the Department of Public Health and Environment Committee Discussion Only

Presentation from the Office of the State Auditor - Committee Discussion Only

01:32:30 PM  
Representative Michaelson
Jenet called the meeting to order.  A meeting agenda was distrbuted
to the committee (Attachment A).



Marisa Edwards, Deputy State Auditor, Office of the State Auditor (OSA),
made opening remarks to the committee about the presentations from the
OSA.
01:34:56 PM  
Derek Johnson, Senior
Legislative Auditor, OSA, presented the performance audit on COVID-19 Infection
Prevention at the Veterans Community Living Centers (Attachment B).  Mr.
Johnson reviewed the key results and conclusions from the audit, which
included that since March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began, the Department
of Human Services and Veterans Community Living Centers has implemented
required infection prevention measures to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
 As presented in the report, during the audit period, the number of
infections, deaths and length of outbreaks at the living centers decreased
as the measures were implemented.
01:37:06 PM  
Jenny Page, Audit
Manager, OSA, presented on Medicaid Non-Emergent Medical Transportation
Performance Audit (Attachment C).  She reviewed the key findings and
recommendations from the audit.  Ms. Page responded to questions from
the committee.
02:01:16 PM  
Ms. Page continued
to the Annual Report: Status of Audit Recommendations Not Fully Implemented,
as of June 30, 2021 (Attachment D).  She highlighted statistics from
the report about the number of audit recommendations made over the last
five years.  She discussed the number of unimplemented audits reflected
in the report.  Ms. Page responded to questions from the committee.
02:18:45 PM  
Monica Powers, Audit Manager, OSA, reviewed the unimplemented audit recommendations for the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing. Ms. Powers, Ms. Page, and Ms. Edwards responded to questions from the committee.
02:28:55 PM  
Ms. Powers reviewed
the unimplimented audit recommendations for the Department of Human Services.
 She stated that the Department of Public Health and Environment,
Connect for Health Colorado, and the various divisions in the Department
of Regulatory Agencies overseen by the committee did not have any high
priority recommendations that needed to be implemented as of June 2021.
 The committee was also provided a copy of the Colorado Office of
the State Auditor Fiscal Year 2021 Annual Report (Attachment E).  Ms.
Page responded to questions from the committee about how a legislator can
start an audit.



Presentation from the Department of Local Affairs - Committee Discussion Only
02:32:20 PM  
Alison George, Director,
Division of Housing, Department of Local Affairs, presented to the committee
on the Supportive Housing Program Report, which is required by Section
24-32-721, C.R.S. (Attachment F).  Ms. George reviewed the number
of projects funded under the program, the number of units in each project
funded, and the number of qualified individuals housed as a result of the
program.  She aslo discussed  the number of individuals who,
after receiving a voucher under the progam returned to the facilities from
which the individuals were transitioning.  Ms. George stated that
the program currently has a 89 percent success rate with 58 households
not returning to the facilities from which they exited.  
02:36:49 PM  
The committee recessed.



Presentation from the Division of Insurance - Committee Discussion Only
02:39:00 PM  
The committee came back to order.
02:42:57 PM  
Commissioner Michael
Conway, Colorado Insurance Commissioner, Department of Regulatory Agencies
(DORA), and Cara Cheevers, Behavioral Health Program Manager, Division
of Insurance, DORA, presented to the committee on the Mental Health Parity
and Addiction Equity Act, as required by Section 10-16-147, C.R.S (Attachment
G).  Ms. Cheevers discussed mental health parity and the definitions
related to mental health parity. She discussed the federal laws that require
mental health parity, including the Mental Health Parity Act and the Affordable
Care Act.  
02:53:26 PM  
Commissioner Conway
and Ms. Cheevers responded to questions from the committee.  Ms. Cheevers
continued presenting to the committee on rulemaking and other policy changes.
 She discussed the Colorado State Benchmark Plan.  Commissioner
Conway and Ms. Cheevers responded to additional questions from the committee.
 Ms. Cheevers discussed the market conduct examinations being conducted
by the division.  Commissioner Conway and Ms. Cheevers responded to
questions from the committee.  



SMART Act Presentation from the Department of Public Health and Environment - Committee Discussion Only
03:38:39 PM  
Jill Hunsaker Ryan,
Executive Director, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
(CDPHE), presented to the committee (Attachment H), and introduced the
other members of the CDPHE team.  Additional materials related to
CDPHE were provided to the committee (Attachments I through R).  
03:45:32 PM  
Anya Nystrom, Director of Culture, Strategy, Equity, and Innovation, CPDHE, presented information on CDPHE's performance management plan and the department's equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts. Ms. Nystrom responded to questions from the committee.
03:56:52 PM  
Director Hunsaker
Ryan presented on the Office of Health Equity.  She reviewed data
related to COVID-19.  Dr. Eric France, Chief Medical Officer, CDPHE,
responded to questions from the committee.
04:20:10 PM  
The committee continued to dialogue with Dr. France about COVID-19.
04:34:19 PM  
Director Hunsaker Ryan responded to questions from the committee.
04:36:26 PM  
Shaun McGrath, Director
of Environmental Health and Protection Services, CDPHE, presented to the
committee on the department's goal related to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
 He discussed the department's efforts to reduce ground-level ozone
to meet federal standards.  
04:44:58 PM  
Director Hunsaker Ryan discussed the department's efforts related to suicide prevention. She responded to questions from the committee.
05:00:35 PM  
Dr. France discussed the department's efforts to reduce the number of new HIV diagnoses.
05:03:31 PM  
Michael Ogletree, Director, Air Pollution Control Division, CDPHE, discussed the budget request related to air quality transformation.
05:09:44 PM  
Director Hunsaker Ryan responded to questions from the committee related to suicide rates and veterans.



Public Testimony on the Department of Public Health and Environment - Committee Discussion Only
05:11:47 PM  
David Cardella, Colorado Independent Auto Dealers Association, testified on CDPHE, and specifically catalytic converters.
05:16:20 PM  
The committee continued to dialogue with the panel from CDPHE related to immunizations. Dr. France responded to questions from the committee about rules related to hospital staffing plans.


05:32:28 PM   The committee adjourned.






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