State/local efforts to control costs

Community groups statewide are responding to such difficult problems as the high cost of insurance, rising numbers of uninsured and barriers to accessing health care. Here are a few examples of innovative projects:

Access

The Colorado Trust Health Professions Initiative is a major effort focusing on improving access to health care across Colorado by increasing the provider pool of health care professionals. This effort focuses on three essential components for long term success, including generating awareness and readiness among students interested in the health care field, supporting and expanding training opportunities, and promoting employer efforts and community partnerships to recruit and retain health professionals.

Christie McElhinney
Director of Communications
The Colorado Trust
1600 Sherman Street
Denver CO 80203
(303) 837-1200


Colorado Covering Kids and Families

Colorado Covering Kids and Families is a statewide, grant-funded project working to ensure that all children and families eligible for Medicaid and the Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) are enrolled in the programs. Their Health Policy Work Group is a broad coalition dedicated to analyzing policy and legislation related to these two programs. New members are welcome.

Stephanie Arenales
CFK Outreach Coordinator
Colorado Community Health Network
600 Grant Street, Suite 800
Denver CO 80203
(303) 861-5165

2010 All Kids Covered Initiative

2010 AKC is an initiative is to see that all children in Colorado are covered with private health insurance or enrolled in public programs that provide a medical home where they can receive appropriate and affordable health care services. Its members work together to craft and promote legislation to implement its “roadmap to coverage” and expand access to meaningful health insurance coverage for children in Colorado.

Alicia Haywood,
CCMU Program Manager
P.O. Box 18877
Denver, CO 80218
(303) 832.7727 Office
(303) 565.7250 Mobile


Cost Containment

Roaring Fork Valley Community Health Plan

Roaring Fork Valley Community Health Plan is a not-for-profit corporation organized to create and promote community-oriented health care plans that are focused on competitive pricing, accessibility, and quality outcomes for members of rural communities in Western Colorado. Health care coverage is provided by Aetna Life Insurance Company. The program was developed and is managed by Van Gilder Insurance Corporation. This replicable model was formed through a work group that included local businesses.

Brad O'Neill
Vice President - Employee Benefits Group
Van Gilder Insurance Corporation
700 Broadway, 10th Floor
Denver, CO 80203
303.831.5201 direct
800.873.8500 toll free
www.vgic.com


The Colorado Trust’s Equality in Health Initiative

The Equality in Health Initiative seeks to address a research-proven, existing bias which can negatively affect the health care provision for racial and ethnic minorities. Through this initiative, more than two dozen Colorado nonprofit organizations and educational institutions work with health care providers and educators to develop the skills necessary to consider unique cultural backgrounds as they provide care. In turn, this effort is aimed at ensuring that all Coloradans have access to health by improving the provision of culturally competent care. Culturally competent care has the potential to improve access and reduce costs.

Christie McElhinney
Director of Communications
The Colorado Trust
1600 Sherman Street
Denver CO 80203
(303) 837-1200


A variety of legislative and state agency initiatives welcome input
from the business community. Click on the links below to learn more and
participate:

The Center for Improving Value in Health Care

By executive order, Governor Ritter has established a new Center for Improving Value in Health Care within the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing. The Center is authorized to “establish priorities, develop strategies, coordinate existing efforts, and begin implementing strategies to improve health care quality and manage the growth of health care costs.” The Center is intended to prod public and private sector collaboration on cost and quality issues, and the participation of “business groups” is explicitly required. For more information, click here (link to article in last week’s newsletter) or contact Joan Henneberry.

Centennial Care Choices (Senate Bill 08-217)

Centennial Care Choices is a major legislative initiative passed in the 07-08 legislative session. It requires the State to collect pricing information from insurance companies on an individual health insurance product that would be designed as a state-sanctioned minimum benefit plan. Results will be presented to a Governor-appointed panel of experts after an actuarial and legislative analysis. This panel will decide if a legal mandate for coverage makes sense. The process will explore some key issues important to employers, including the desirability of an individual mandate, the scope of the benefit package, its affordability and the need for subsidies. The initial work will be done under the guidance of the Department of Regulatory Agencies, coordinating with the Department of Insurance. For more information, contact Jo Donlin.

Medical Homes for Children

A “medical home” is not a building, but a way of coordinating care for children and adults. In contrast to the current health care system, which many patients find disjointed and confusing, a medical home is intended to be more responsive children’s medical and non-medical needs by centralizing information and helping families navigate the system more efficiently. Legislation passed in 2007 and 2008 directs the state to ensure medical homes for children enrolled in Medicaid and Child Health Plan Plus.

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

Many of the department's Boards and Commissions that provide oversight are populated by volunteers statewide. The department often seek representatives from outside metro Denver and from the community at large.

If you are involved in an exciting project that could inform the health care debate in Colorado, and would like to be listed on this page, please contact :

Amy Fletcher
Associate Director
Business Health Forum
(303) 866-9659