State legislature passes numerous health-care bills

By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News

While the national spotlight focused on rancorous debates over health-care reform, Colorado has quietly made its own changes.

"We continue to make good progress at the state level with health-care reform," said State Rep. John Kefalas, D-Fort Collins, who serves on the state legislature's Health and Human Services Committee.

Kefalas successfully sponsored two health-care bills this year. HB 1166, Insurance Policies Written in Plain Language, requires insurance companies to provide information on forms and policies in simple language. This change will result in more informed consumers, Kefalas said.

Another bill concerning insurance forms is HB 1004, requiring private insurance companies to standardize policy forms and their explanations of benefits. HB 1242, which relates to the individual insurance market, requires insurance companies to accept a standard initial application rather than each company having its own form.

Kefalas' second bill, HB 1330 or the All-Payer Health Claims Database, improves transparency in the health-care system concerning costs of procedures. HB 1330 is "one of the more significant health care bills," Kefalas said, in that it will give legislators the information they need about current costs from all providers so they can begin to bring those costs down.

Kefalas also pointed to SB 167, the Medicaid Efficiencies Act, as a step in the right direction. This legislation, he said, will continue to fight waste and fraud in the Medicaid system, making public insurance more efficient and saving money for taxpayers.

Another highly touted bill that passed the legislature this year is HB 1008, Gender Fairness in Health Insurance. The bill prohibits gender discrimination in health insurance premiums. Studies have shown that women pay almost 40 percent more than men for the same coverage.

Other new health care laws encourage the training of more nurses and provide incentives for health-care professionals to practice in rural and underserved communities. HB 1252 ensures that mammography is covered by insurance plans.

Kefalas pointed out that big changes in health-care access have occurred in Colorado as a result of legislation passed last year. HB 1293, the Health Care Affordability Act, is bringing in additional matching funds from the federal government to augment the state's Medicaid budget. As a result, according to state officials, an estimated 130,000 people will be eligible for Medicaid or the Colorado Children's Health Care Plus within the next few years.

HB 1293 imposes a new fee on hospitals that can be matched with federal dollars. However, hospitals will also receive a higher reimbursement rate for Medicaid and indigent care, so the Colorado Hospital Association supported the legislation.

HB 1293 expands eligibility for Medicaid and CHP, and the federal government approved the state's plan in April. It's a phased-in program. As of May 1 there were two expansions in the program: The income limit for children and pregnant women was raised to 250 percent of the federal poverty level, and parents of eligible children are now eligible themselves if they are at or below 100 percent of the federal poverty level. In July 2011, a Medicaid buy-in option begins for people with disabilities. In January 2012, childless adults will be eligible for Medicaid.