Mental Health Care in Colorado

In 2003, the Mental Health Funders Collaborative, a group of eight Colorado grantmaking foundations, commissioned TriWest Group to conduct an assessment and critical analysis of the public and private mental health systems in Colorado. The Status of Mental Health Care in Colorado was published that year and revealed alarming data about the lack of mental health care funding and access to care for people in the state. It also published, for the first time, information about Colorado’s many overlapping and fragmented systems for providing mental health services.

In response to these findings, four Colorado foundations partnered to create Advancing Colorado’s Mental Health Care (ACMHC). Visit the ACMHC website for more information about the project.

CICP Proposed Rule Changes

The Department of Health Care Policy and Financing has submitted a draft proposed rule concerning the  Medical Assistance Rule Concerning the Colorado Indigent Care Program.

A hearing on the proposed rule is set for Friday, January 13, 2012 at 09:00 am at The Capitol Center, 225 E. 16th Ave., 6th floor, Denver CO 80203. For more information about the proposed rule, you can contact Judi Carey, MSB Coordinator at 303-866-4416 at the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing.

If you want to provide feedback on the proposed rule or amendment to help us make that determination, please email opr@dora.state.co.us before Tuesday, December 20, 2011.

Announcing Medicaid.gov

The Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS) has launched http://medicaid.gov, the first Federal government website devoted to the policies and the people of Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). This website is the culmination of efforts at the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services to revitalize and reorient the information the Federal government makes available about these programs. Medicaid.gov brings to the forefront the items that States, the health policy community and other stakeholders have said they care about most, including: Federal policy guidance; lists of pending and approved waivers; highlights of our Affordable Care Act implementation efforts; State-specific program information and data; and improved search capabilities.

OHAC! is now OHCO

OHAC! has evolved into Oral Health Colorado (OHCO). Visit their new website for more information.

Healthy Communities Update: Mental Health & Substance Abuse

Through its Behavioral Health Initiative, the Department of Health Care Policy and Finance is working to advance the diagnosis and treatment of depression for clients on Medicaid and CHP+. Medicaid now covers depression screening for adolescents aged 11-20, using a screening tool (questionnaire) at the child’s periodic well child visits. This screening gives health professionals an indication of a possible problem and a reason to do further evaluation either by the primary care provider or a mental health specialist. More than one million teens in the U.S. suffer from depression, yet less than one-third of those teens receive help. If you would like more information, please contact Lisa Waugh, lisa.waugh@state.co.us.

Health Information Technology and Quality Webinar

"Tips for Overcoming the Gray Areas of Meaningful Use Stage 1 for Safety Net Providers"

Tuesday December 13, 2011, 2pm EST

This webinar provides tips and guidance of how safety net providers, such as health centers, critical access hospitals, and rural health clinics can overcome common gray areas of meeting Meaningful Use Stage 1 objectives. Gray areas are objectives within the final rule that are still not clear to providers.  Presenters from the Regional Extension Centers (REC) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will review these problem areas based on previous comments and questions directed to HRSA, CMS, and ONC staff from safety net providers. These areas include: dealing with vendors and other EHR issues; attesting data to CMS and State Medicaid programs; troubleshooting quality measures; and other Meaningful Use Stage 1 problems that safety net providers have encountered.  In addition, this webinar will include a presentation by CMS Staff on "Adopt, Implement, and Upgrade" (AIU) of electronic health records. Presenters include staff from both the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Regional Extension Centers.

Questions to presenters are welcome ahead of the event and may be emailed to healthit@hrsa.gov To register:  http://webcast.streamlogics.com/audience/index.asp?eventid=84138124

 
Email questions or comments to HRSA's Health IT mailbox at: healthit@hrsa.gov<mailto:healthit@hrsa.gov>
 
Previous HRSA Health and Quality Webinars are available at: http://www.hrsa.gov/healthit

Eligibility & Enrollment Quarterly Work Group Meeting

December 15, 2011; 10:30am-12:00pm

The Colorado Eligibility and Enrollment Medical Assistance Program Quarterly Work Group Meeting will be held at the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, 225 East 16th Avenue, Denver CO, 80203 in the First Floor Conference Room.

• Call in Number: 877-820-7831
• Passcode: 439283#

Agenda Items:

1. Interfaces - IEVS and Auto Re-Enrollment
2. Pre-HMO
3. Cost Sharing
4. Manual Enrollment Update
5. Open Discussion

Questions Can Be Sent To: Workgroup_COEEMAP@maximus.com
Early Questions Are Encouraged