Who will be uninsured after health reform?

Urban Institute Estimates the Demographics of the Uninsured Population After Health Reform Implementation; click here to read the brief.

Check Out County Health Rankings

The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation have published online a new set of reports that compare health factors and health outcomes in counties within each state. The rankings use data from vital statistics and government health surveys. Visit the website to learn more.

"Accountable Care Organizations: A Framework For Evaluating Proposed Rules."

Click here to read this Health Affairs Blog post by Mark McClellan and Elliott Fisher.

Primary Care Fund Application Timeline

Applications for the dissemination of funds from the Primary Care Fund are processed once a year. This timeline could be revised at the discretion of the Department. Click here for more information.

DATE	ACTIVITY
Friday, May 6, 2011	Application Form Released
Friday, May 20, 2011	Questions Due from Applicant Agencies AND Intent to Apply Notification Due from Applicant Agencies
Wednesday, June 1, 2011	Pre-Bid Conference for Applicant Agencies    Click here for pre-bid conference details
Monday, June 13, 2011  3:00 PM	Application Responses Due
Friday, July 15, 2010	Award Notification

The Forum 2011 is almost here!

The Forum 2011: Essential Perspectives for Safety Net Providers is an April 20-21 conference that will bring together participants from all over Colorado. It serves as an essential educational, training, and networking event for all safety net clinics, members of the clinic team, and other interested parties. The Colorado Rural Health Center and ClinicNET have partnered to present this event. Register to attend now!

The 2011 Colorado Health Symposium

The 2011 Colorado Health Symposium

"State of Health: Seizing Opportunities, Achieving Results"

July 27-29, 2011

Keystone Resort & Conference Center

Presented by the Colorado Health Foundation, the 2011 Colorado Health Symposium will highlight emerging solutions and daunting challenges in health and health care with perspectives from leaders in many different fields. This year includes three main focus areas:

• The business of health: The cost of health care is a significant economic driver (and challenge) for businesses and the economy at large. How is health reform impacting the board room and the bottom line? How are businesses managing and capitalizing on the Affordable Care Act (ACA)?
• Health care delivery, partnerships and decision making: How is health care reform impacting health care professionals? Is the delivery system's balance of power shifting from health providers to those who receive care? 
• The view from the street level: Communities across the country are re-imagining themselves in the context of health. What strategic partnerships and bipartisan initiatives are emerging to support these efforts?

Attendance is limited and the Symposium sells out quickly, so register today.

Accountable Care Collaboratives – What is happening in Colorado?

Bringing Health Home:
Accountable Care Collaboratives – What is happening in Colorado?
Thursday, April 14, 2011
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM MDT

National healthcare reform has brought to light many debates within health care.  What can be done to cut costs and improve quality?  How can the healthcare delivery system provide greater value?  How can we better integrate and coordinate care at all levels?  Accountable Care Collaboratives are a framework within which other health care initiatives can potentially thrive, such as the medical home, health information technology, and payment reform.  This webinar will introduce folks to the ACC model, the pilots underway in the Colorado Medicaid program, and how it fits with national healthcare reform.Presenters: 

• Sarah Roberts, Director of Client Services Division, Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing
• April Abrahamson, Executive Director of Medicaid, Colorado Access (Colorado Access has been awarded three regions for Medicaid’s ACC pilot)

Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/993681840

Kaiser Permanente Funding Opportunity--Project A-L-L

A-L-L is a medication regimen that has been implemented nationally with Kaiser Permanente diabetes patients, and has been shown to significantly reduce risk of heart attack and stroke. A-L-L stands for Aspirin, Lisinopril, and Lipid-Lowering Medication. Kaiser Permanente recognizes that Safety Nets are essential community partners in our shared goals of improving the health of individuals and communities through population-based health care. To that end, they have committed $500,000 in 2011-12 to continue and expand Project A-L-L, and fund up to 3 new Safety Net partners.

A question and answer webinar/conference call for potential applicants will take place on Friday, April 15 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m (MST). This webinar/call is optional, however to insure equitable and consistent communication to all applicants, no other questions about the Request for Letters of Intent will be answered beyond this webinar/call. 

Click here for the Request for Letters of Intent that includes a link to the webinar and conference call information.

Latest News from HCPF

Click here to access the latest Provider Bulletin from HCPF. 

At A Glance – March 2011

Sharing an Exchange

New Issue Brief Examines Multi-State Health Insurance Exchanges
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) permits two or more states to work together to create a multi-state health insurance exchange. A new issue brief funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and written by the Urban Institute’s Linda Blumberg examines why states might form multi-state exchanges and the issues raised by doing so.

AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation's Connections for Cardiovascular Health Program

The AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation's Connections for Cardiovascular Health program strives to improve cardiovascular health within the United States and its territories. This program awards Foundation grants of $150,000 and more annually to US-based, nonprofit organizations engaged in charitable work at the community level in the United States in support of the program's mission, including chronic disease and childhood obesity prevention. Deadline is April 20, 2011. For more information, Click Here.