Sen. Larry Crowder

Sunset Process - Senate Health and Human Services Committee. The bill implements the recommendations of the sunset review and report on the certification of speech-language pathologists through the department of regulatory agencies by: Extending the automatic termination date of the 'Speech-language Pathology Practice Act' to September 1, 2022, pursuant to the sunset law ( sections 1 and 2 of the bill); and Removing references to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association ( sections 3 and 4 of the bill).(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill prohibits a contract between a carrier and a dentist from requiring a dentist to provide services to a covered person at a fee set by, or subject to the approval of, the carrier unless: The services are covered services under the person's policy; and The carrier provides payment for the service under the person's policy in an amount that is reasonable and not nominal or de minimis. The bill authorizes a dentist to charge a covered person for noncovered items or services in any amount determined by the dentist and agreed to by the patient if the amount is equal to, or less than, the usual and customary amount that the dentist charges individuals who are not enrolled for such items and services. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill creates a financial relief program, available from July 1, 2017, through December 31, 2018, or until the total amount of money appropriated for the program is distributed, to provide financial assistance to individuals and their families residing in the program area who spend more than 15% of their household income on individual health insurance premiums. The Colorado health benefit exchange (exchange) is to oversee the program, and counties in the program area may elect to administer the program in their counties. For any county that opts not to administer the program, the exchange is to administer the program in that county. Financial relief is available to individuals and families residing in the program area who are determined eligible based on the following: The individual or family enrolled in and paid premiums for a bronze, silver, or gold level individual health benefit plan purchased through the exchange; The individual or family has a household income of more than 400%, but not more than 500%, of the federal poverty line; The individual or family does not have access to a government-sponsored program, such as medicaid or medicare, or an affordable employer-sponsored plan; and The individual or family pays more than 15% of the household income on premiums for the plan. The exchange is to certify that an individual or family resides in the program area and has enrolled in one of the specified health benefit plans, the premium amount of the plan, the household income of the individual or family, and that the individual or family does not have access to a government-sponsored program or employer-sponsored plan. The amount of financial relief is calculated based on the cost of the premium for the lowest-cost bronze health benefit plan available to the individual or family through the exchange, minus an amount equal to 15% of the individual's or family's household income. The general assembly is to appropriate not more than $5.7 million from the general fund to the department of health care policy and financing, for allocation to the exchange to provide financial assistance to individuals who qualify under the program. A carrier offering individual health benefit plans on the exchange must permit an individual to purchase an individual health benefit plan on the exchange during a special enrollment period that begins June 1, 2017, and ends August 1, 2017, for plans effective through December 31, 2017. For the 2018 plan year, individuals are subject to the standard open enrollment period specified in law. The program repeals on September 1, 2019, unless congress enacts and the president signs legislation repealing the advance premium tax credit authorized under federal law, in which case the program repeals upon the date of the repeal of said tax credit. The bill appropriates $5.7 million to the department of health care policy and financing for allocation to the exchange to provide financial relief to qualified individuals. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

The bill amends the definition of 'durable medical equipment supplier' to include a person or entity that bills or bids or plans to bill or bid in the current calendar year for services or products listed in the centers for medicare and medicaid services durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies in a current bidding program or pursuant to any successor bidding program.. The bill clarifies the requirements for a durable medical equipment supplier to do business in Colorado. For each of its physical locations providing services in Colorado, a durable medical equipment supplier must be licensed by the Colorado secretary of state and attest that each of its physical locations providing services in Colorado are within 100 miles of any Colorado-resident medicare beneficiary being served by the supplier in Colorado or any Colorado medicaid recipient who is being served by the provider in Colorado. The bill includes language relating to licensing durable medical equipment suppliers that prohibits a supplier from meeting the requirements through a durable medical equipment warehouse or repair facility, but does allow a supplier to domicile a fully accredited facility within a durable medical equipment warehouse or repair facility. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Under current law, a county seeking to establish a local improvement district to fund a telecommunications service improvement may construct the improvement if the county has an agreement with a telecommunications service provider to provide service, facilities, plants, or systems in the area in which the improvement will be constructed. The improvement must then be owned, operated, and maintained by the telecommunications service provider. The bill allows a rural county with a population of fewer than 50,000 inhabitants to establish a local improvement district to fund an advanced service improvement in an unserved area of the county under the same conditions that apply to the funding of a telecommunications service improvement through a local improvement district. The bill also defines the terms 'advanced service', 'rural county', and unserved area'. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Interim Study Committee on Communication Between the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) and Medicaid Clients. The bill requires the administrative law judge hearing medicaid appeals to review the legal sufficiency of the notice of action from which the recipient is appealing at the commencement of the appeal hearing if the notice of action concerns the termination or reduction of an existing benefit. If the notice is legally insufficient, the judge shall advise the appellant that he or she may waive the defense of insufficient notice and proceed to a hearing on the merits or may ask the judge to decide the appeal based on the judge's finding of insufficiency. The judge shall advise the appellant that a legally sufficient notice may be issued in the future and that the state may recoup benefits from the appellant. The provisions of the bill apply to hearings conducted on and after a certain date. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Current state park law excludes seaplanes from the definition of a 'vessel', and applicable park rules essentially prohibit seaplanes from landing in or taking off from state park water bodies. The bill creates a pilot project to allow amphibious seaplanes to land in at least 2 state parks after the seaplanes have been inspected for and decontaminated of aquatic nuisance species. The parks and wildlife commission may adopt rules to implement the pilot program.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill increases the accessibility of legal child care by expanding the circumstances under which an individual can care for children from multiple families for less than 24 hours without obtaining a child care license. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Interim Study Committee on Communication Between the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) and Medicaid Clients. The bill directs the office of the state auditor (OSA) to conduct or cause to be conducted an audit of client correspondence, including letters and notices, sent to clients or potential clients in medicaid programs. The audits will be conducted in 2020 and 2023 and thereafter at the discretion of the state auditor. Among other items set forth in the bill, the performance audits will review client correspondence for readability, understandability, and accuracy. In addition, the audits will review available county data regarding customer contacts relating to client confusion with client correspondence. The OSA will report audit findings, conclusions, and recommendations to the legislative audit committee, the joint budget committee, the public health care and human services committee of the house of representatives, the health and human services committee of the senate, and the joint technology committee, or any successor committees. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)