Accomplishments

During the 2011 Legislative session, CCHI successfully advocated for access to health care for all Coloradans. Getting Coloradans the care they need when they need it is not too much to ask. Together we are moving Colorado closer to that common sense goal.

Colorado creates its own Health Benefit Exchange:
With CCHI’s leadership and broad partnerships in 2011, SB 200, The Health Benefit Exchange, passed the legislature. This bill established an open and transparent process for creating a competitive health insurance marketplace in Colorado, as required under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This marketplace will provide access to affordable insurance options to thousands of un- and under-insured Coloradans. Colorado is one of 11 states to pass legislation establishing a health insurance exchange. For more information on the exchange visit our Colorado Health Benefit Exchange page.

Child-Only Health Insurance Plans Signed into Law: Giving Families Coverage Options for Kids:
During the 2011 legislative session the Child Only Health Insurance Plans bill was passed into law, requiring insurance companies participating in the individual market to also offer child-only insurance plans. Many insurance companies stopped offering these plans in 2010 when the federal law required them to cover kids with pre-existing conditions. This law will ensure that more of Colorado’s children will have health insurance options.  The first open enrollment period for children to enroll in these plans was August, 2011 and the next is in January, 2012.

Colorado Again Defeats Attempts to "Opt-Out" of Health Care Reform:
Despite the conclusive defeat of Amendment 63 in 2010 to opt-out of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate at the polls last November, and the defeat of similar measures in the legislature last year, the Republican House Caucus introduced the Health Opportunity and Patient Empowerment Act (HB1273), attempting to opt-out of the federal law once again. The bill would have allowed Colorado to enter into an interstate compact to regulate its own health care system with other participating states, and thus, opt-out of any federal health care laws. The Senate Local Government Committee killed this bill in the last week of the session.

2008 - 2010:

• The FAIR Act (2008)
  This FAIR Act reformed rate review in Colorado and require insurers to get prior approval for rate increases based by the Colorado Division of Insurance (DOI).  The law requires DOI evaluation of rate increases based on loss ratios, profit margins, top executive compensation, returns on dividends, subrogation, etc. This law created the Consumer Insurance Council within the Division of Insurance to bring the consumer perspective to regulation of Colorado’s insurance markets. Finally, the FAIR Act also allows DOI to issue fines and penalties to carriers who report bad information or misleading information in order to get approval for a rate increase.
   
• Healthcare Accountability Act (Hospital Provider Fee) (2009)
  This law created a fee for hospitals, to be used to increase state revenues to draw down matching federal dollars for Medicaid. The fee is expected to generate approximately $1.2 million per year for the state. The funds are being used to provide health care to more than 100,000 uninsured Coloradans by expanding eligibility for Medicaid and CHP+ and reduce uncompensated care and cost-shifting by increasing Medicaid and CICP reimbursement rates to hospitals.
   
• All Payer Claims Database (2010)
  This law required the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (DHCPF) to create an advisory committee to make recommendations for creating a Colorado all-payer health claims database. The database is to be user-friendly, public and meet certain criteria for transparency and data quality. The DHCPF is directed to appoint an administrator to guide the committee and seek funding from gifts, grants, and donations. If sufficient revenue is received by January 1, 2012, the database is required to be operational no later than January 1, 2013. The administrator is also charged with establishing agreements for voluntary reporting by claims payers that are not subject to mandatory reporting requirements, ensuring patient privacy, and producing reports.
   
• Gender Rating
  This bill prohibited insurance companies from using gender as a factor in determining the rate for an individual health coverage plan. Any premium rate based on gender will be considered unfairly discriminatory. The law took effect January 1, 2011.