Funding for Rural Health Care

For the Colorado rural health-care workforce initiative (workforce initiative), the bill authorizes the department of higher education to enter into a limited purpose fee-for-service contract with the board of regents of the university of Colorado for allocation to programs or institutions of higher education to expand an existing rural track program. If an allocation is made to a program or institution to expand an existing rural track program, the department of higher education shall utilize a formula developed and revised annually by the rural program office that is based on data that documents the program's or institution's fulfillment of certain requirements. The bill requires the rural program office to submit a report to the general assembly each year that includes the allocation formula developed by the rural program office.

The bill authorizes any money not expended or encumbered from any appropriation at the end of any fiscal year to remain available for expenditure for the workforce initiative in the next fiscal year without further appropriation.

The bill requires the department of health care policy and financing to distribute money appropriated for payments to rural hospitals.

(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)