S_HHS_2022A 04/20/2022 01:34:03 PM Committee Summary

Senator Ginal and Senator Simpson, co-prime bill sponsors, presented House Bill 22-1268, which requires the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) to submit a report to the legislature regarding Medicaid reimbursement rates for community mental health centers and independent mental health and substance use treatment providers, by August 15, 2022. HCPF must contract with an independent auditor to prepare the report and make recommendations.

Mr. Andrew Rose, representing the Colorado Medicaid Behavioral Health Provider Network, testified in support of the bill.

Mrs. Sybil Cummin, representing Arvada Therapy Solutions, PLLC, testified in support of the bill.

Lauren Snyder, representing Mental Health Colorado, testified in support of the bill.

Additional written testimony was submitted to the committee (Attachment A).

Committee members provided closing remarks.

Senator Ginal and Senator Fields, co-prime bill sponsors, presented House Bill 22-1267, which requires the Office of Health Equity (OHE) in the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to create a grant program by January 1, 2023, to provide culturally responsive training to health care professionals. The OHE must contract with a third-party administrator that will issue grant applications for nonprofit entities and statewide associations of health care providers that wish to develop the training, and submit a list of qualified applicants to the Health Equity Commission (commission). The commission will then select the grant recipients.

Ms. Kathryn Vandegrift,
representing self, testified in support of the bill.



Committee members asked questions of the panel.



Additional written
testimony was submitted to the committee (Attachment B).

Dr. Emily Lindley, representing the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, testified to amend the bill.

Committee members provided closing remarks.