Date: 01/06/2015

Final
Presentation by the Dept Health Care Policy and Fin

COMMITTEE ON JOINT HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Votes: View--> Action Taken:
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09:08 AM -- Presentation by the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing

Senator Aguilar called the committee to order. Additional members of the General Assembly who joined the committee included: Representative-elect Brown, Representative-elect Lontine, Representative Ryden, Representative-elect Klingenschmitt, Representative-elect Keyser, and Representative Mitch Bush. Sue Birch, Executive Director of the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, began the department's SMART Government Act presentation and distributed a packet of information to the committee (Attachment A). Copies of the performance plan (Attachment B) and regulatory agenda (Attachment C) for the Departments of Health Care Policy and Financing, Human Services, and Public Health and Environment were also distributed to the committee. She described the Medicaid and Child Health Plan Plus Programs, and noted that the department works with other state departments on health-related issues. She discussed the populations served in and the income requirements for each program.

150106 AttachA.pdf150106 AttachA.pdf150106 AttachB.pdf150106 AttachB.pdf150106 AttachC.pdf150106 AttachC.pdf

09:19 AM

Ms. Birch continued by discussing Medicaid caseload and the expenditures related to caseload. She responded to questions from the committee regarding Medicaid expenditures and match rates and discussed the newly enrolled populations in Medicaid. The committee discussed the hospital provider fee and the increase in Medicaid enrollment.

09:33 AM

Ms. Birch discussed 1332 Medicaid waivers, and noted that some states are in the early stages of implementing the waivers. She continued by discussing the Accountable Care Collaborative (ACC), and described the importance of the patient-centered medical home. She described the Regional Care Collaborative Organizations (RCCOs) and the specific regions in which the RCCOs are located. She noted that 58 percent of Medicaid clients are members of the ACC, and described the department's efforts to pay for value rather than volume. She explained that the department has achieved medical expense and administrative cost savings totalling between $29 and $33 million through the ACC.

09:46 AM

Ms. Birch gave the Report on Reducing Unnecessary Duplicative Service in the Accountable Care Collaborative Program, which is required by Section 25.5-5-417, C.R.S. She gave an example of how the ACCs are working to reduce duplicative services. Ms. Birch responded to questions from the committee regarding shortages of medical professionals. The committee continued to discuss Medicaid provider shortages and Medicaid provider payments. The committee continued to discuss Medicaid provider reimbursement rates and the number of providers in the state that accept Medicaid patients.

10:11 AM

 Laurel Karabatsos, Medicaid Deputy Director, Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, responded to questions from the committee regarding the RCCOs and the reimbursement rates within the RCCOs. Ms. Birch and Dr. Judy Zerzan, Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, responded to questions from the committee regarding medical directives. The committee further discussed the availability of private and public psychiatric beds.

10:19 AM

Ms. Birch continued by discussing the long-term care services and supports system. She discussed the Colorado State Innovation Model (SIM), which has the goal of providing access to integrate primary care and behavioral health services in coordinated community systems, and described the federal SIM funding that the state has received to coordinate behavioral health and primary care.

10:36 AM

Ms. Birch discussed the waiting list for the Children with Autism Medicaid Waiver, and discussed that associated budget request to provide additional funding for the services. She further discussed expanding the Teen Pregnancy and Dropout Prevention Program, which was successfully piloted in Mesa, Montrose, and Delta counties.

10:40 AM

Ms. Birch continued by discussing the department's budget requests to increase provider rates. She continued by discussing the department's 2015 regulatory agenda.

10:45 AM

Chris Underwood, Deputy Finance Director, Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, came to the table to respond to questions from the committee regarding the department's budget request related to personal health information records. Ms. Birch continued to respond to questions from the committee regarding savings in the Medicaid program generated by the ACC.

10:58 AM

There were no witnesses present for public testimony. The committee took a short recess.