H_PBH_2023A 04/25/2023 09:27:13 AM Committee Summary

Speaker McCluskie and Representative Brown, co-prime bill sponsors, presented House Bill 23-1303, concerning protections in the event of an insurance company failure. The bill makes several changes to procedures relating to insolvent insurers, including adding health maintenance organizations to the Colorado Life and Health Protection Association. The bill sponsors responded to questions from the committee.

Dr. Donna Lynne,
representing Denver Health, testified in support of the bill.



Greg McCarthy,
representing the Denver Health Medical Plan, testified in support of the
bill.



Adam Fox, representing
the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative, testified in support of the bill.



Lindsey Vigoda,
representing the Small Business Majority, testified in support of the bill.



The panelists
responded to questions from the committee.

Katherine Wallat,
representing the Colorado Center on Law and Policy, testified in support
of the bill.



Keith Mancini,
representing Empower, testified in support of the bill.



Commissioner Tamara
 Pogue, representing Counties and Commissioners Acting Together, testified
in support of the bill.



Anne Ladd, representing
the Peak Health Alliance, testified in support of the bill.



The panelists
responded to questions from the committee.

Melissa Young, representing
the American Council of Life Insurers, testified in support of the bill.
 



Saskia Young,
representing the Colorado Association of Health Plans, testified in support
of the bill.  



Douglas Wheeler,
representing New York Life, testified in support of the bill.  



Susan Callanan,
representing Northwestern Mutual, testified in support of the bill.



The panelists
responded to questions from the committee.

Ted Kennedy, representing AIG/Corebridge Financial, testified in support of the bill.

Eric DuPont, representing Guardian Life, testified in support of the bill.

Commissioner Michael Conway, representing Colorado Division of Insurance, testified in support of the bill, and responded to questions from the committee.

Representative Brown made concluding remarks about the bill. Committee members commented on the bill.

Representative Daugherty and Representative Hartsook, co-prime bill sponsors, presented Senate Bill 23-252, concerning hospital medical price transparency. The bill requires hospitals to disclose standard charges for services. The Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) must design the disclosure template, monitor hospitals for compliance, and take corrective action. Failure to comply is a deceptive trade practice. The bill also moves existing hospital transparency reporting requirements from the Department of Public Health and Environment to HCPF. The bill sponsors responded to questions from the committee.

Joshua Ewing, representing the Colorado Hospital Association, testified in opposition to the bill. He responded to questions from the committee.

Kim Bimestefer, representing
HCPF, testified in support of the bill.  She provided a handout to
the committee (Attachment E).  



Nancy Dolson,
representing HCPF, testified in support of the bill.  



Tony Gagliardi,
representing the National Federation of Independent Business, testified
in support of the bill.  



The panelists
responded to questions from the committee.

Austin Blumenfeld,
representing Centennial State Prosperity, testified in support of the bill.
 



Srilekha Palle,
representing Independent Women's Voice, testified in support of the bill.
 



Anne Ladd, representing
Peak Health Alliance, testified in support of the bill.



Written testimony
was submitted to the committee (Attachment F).

Representative Hartsook made concluding remarks on the bill.

Chelsey Hall, representing
the Colorado Deparrtment of Human Services, testified in support of the
bill.



Anders Jacobson,
representing the Colorado Department of Human Services, testified in support
of the bill.



Amanda Pennington,
representing the Office of the Colorado Child Protection Ombudsman, testified
in support of the bill.



Jamie Ulrich,
representing the Weld Department of Human Services, testified in support
of the bill.



Samantha  Fields,
representing the Colorado Department of Human Services, testified in support
of the bill.



The panelists
responded to questions from the committee.

Representative Ricks made concluding remarks about the bill. Committee members commented on the bill.

Representative Jodeh and Representative Pugliese, co-prime bill sponsors, presented Senate Bill 23-195, concerning the calculation of contributions toward an insured's required cost sharing under a health benefit plan. The bill requires health insurance plans to include any payments made by the covered person or on their behalf when calculating their total contribution towards meeting cost-sharing requirements.

Stacy Hodgson, representing
the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, testified in support of the bill.
 



Kerri Cechovic,
representing the Rocky Mountain Multiple Sclerosis Center, testified in
support of the bill.  



Melissa Horn,
representing the Arthritis Foundation, testified in support of the bill.



Perry Jowsey,
representing the Colorado Chapter of the National Hemophilia Foundation,
testified in support of the bill.  



The panelists
responded to questions from the committee.

Patrick Boyle, representing the Pharmacy Care Management Association, testified in opposition to the bill.

Brandon Arnold, representing the Colorado Association of Health Plans, testified in opposition to the bill.

Karlee Tebbutt, representing America's Health Insurance Plans, testified in opposition to the bill.

The panelists responded to questions from the committee.

Monica Van Buskirk,
representing Meapta Inc., testified in support of the bill.



Mary Emmerling,
representing herself, testified in support of the bill.  



John Christen,
representing himself, testified in support of the bill.  



The panelists
responded to questions from the committee.

Gretchen Mills, representing
the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, testified in support of the bill.
 



Gabrielle Flores,
representing herself, testified in support of the bill.  



Barb Cardell,
representing Colorado Organizations and Individuals Responding to HIV/AIDS,
testified to amend the bill.  



Nathan Wilkes,
representing himself, testified in support of the bill.  



Dr. Kavita Nair,
representing herself, testified in support of the bill.  



Lisbet Finseth,
representing the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, testified in support
of the bill.  



Lucy Laube, representing
the National Psoriasis Foundation, testified in support of the bill.  



The panelists
responded to questions from the committee.



Written testimony
was submitted to the committee (Attachment G).

Representative Jodeh
explained amendement L.007 (Attachment H).  She responded to questions
from the committee.  



Sarah Fralich,
representing the Chronic Care Collaborative, responded to questions from
the committee.

Representative Jodeh and Representative Pugliese made concluding remarks on the bill.

Representative Story, prime bill sponsor, presented Senate Bill 23-027, concerning funding of the Food Pantry Assistance Grant Program. The bill extends the potential for General Fund appropriations to the Food Pantry Assistance Grant Program in the Department of Human Services through FY 2026-27 and repeals the program on July 1, 2028. Representative Story responded to questions from the committee.

Marc Jacobson, representing
Hunger Free Colorado, testified in support of the bill.  



Jen O'Neal, representing
Hunger Free Colorado, testified in support of the bill.



Carol Pace, representing
AARP, testified in support of the bill.  



Dr. Michael Neil,
representing the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition, testified in support
of the bill.  



The panelists
responded to questions from the committee.



Written testimony
was submitted to the committee (Attachment I).

Representative Story made concluding remarks on the bill.

Representative Daugherty and Representative Soper, co-prime bill sponsors, presented House Bill 23-1307, concerning enhanced supports for youth who are in detention. The bill provides funding for the placement of detained juveniles that are over the statutory bed cap for the Division of Youth Services. The bill sponsors responded to questions from the committee.

Katie Hecker, representing
the Office of the Child's Representative, testified to amend the bill.
 



Anaya Robinson,
representing the ACLU of Colorado, testified in support of the bill.



Katie First, representing
Colorado Counties Inc., testified in a neutral position on the bill.  



Minna Castillo
Cohen, representing the Colorado Department of Human Services, testified
in support of the bill.  



The panelists
responded to questions from the committee.




Written testimony
was submitted to the committee (Attachment J).

Representative Soper and Representative Daugherty provided concluding remarks on the bill. Committee members commented on the bill.

Representative Lindsay, prime bill sponsor, presented Senate Bill 23-260, concerning access to publicly funded vaccines. The bill prohibits practitioners from requiring individuals to pay or provide information in order to receive a publicly-funded vaccine. Representative Lindsay responded to questions from the committee.

Heather Roth, representing
the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, testified in
support of the bill.  



Maisha Fields,
representing herself, testified in support of the bill.  



Keith Rawls, representing
Boulder County Public Health and the Colorado Association of Local Public
Health Officials, testified in support of the bill.  



Paola Grimaldo,
representing Servicios de La Raza, testified in support of the bill.



Alex Andrews,
representing 365 Health, testified in support of the bill.  



The panelists
responded to questions from the committee.



Written testimony
was submitted to the committee (Attachment N).

Representative Lindsay made concluding remarks about the bill.