SB 23-002

Senate Bill 23-002, which has been signed into law and will take effect on August 7, 2023, aims to allow Medicaid reimbursement for community health workers in Colorado. This means that people who provide support services like health education and care coordination within communities could be paid through Medicaid funds. The bill also requires the state department to hold public meetings to gather input from stakeholders before requesting federal approval for this program. Additionally, it allocates funding to both the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing and the Department of Public Health and Environment to support the implementation of community health worker services. This will benefit individuals who rely on Medicaid and those working in community health roles.

Official Summary

The act authorizes the department of health care policy and financing (state department) to seek federal authorization from the centers for medicare and medicaid services to provide medicaid reimbursement for community health worker services. The act requires the state department to hold at least 4 public stakeholder meetings to solicit input on considerations to include in the state department's request for federal authorization. The act grants the state department the authority to promulgate rules regarding the voluntary competency-based community health worker registry. The act requires that on or before January 31, 2026, the state department include a report on how community health workers are being utilized through medicaid in its presentation to the joint budget committee of the general assembly and in its presentation at the "State Measurement for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART) Government Act" hearing. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $40,717 from the general fund to the state department to be used by the executive director's office as follows: $36,842 for personal services; and $3,875 for operating expenses. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, the act anticipates the state department will receive $40,717 in federal funds to be used as follows: $36,842 for personal services; and $3,875 for operating expenses. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $169,973 to the department of public health and environment to be used by chronic disease prevention programs in the prevention services division for the community health workers initiative. APPROVED by Governor May 10, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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