Colorado Medicaid Behavioral Health Provider Network

COMBINE advocates for a diverse, competent, and sustainable behavioral healthcare workforce.

Counselors - Peers - Marriage and Family Therapists - Addiction Counselors - Psychologists - Social Workers - Pre-licensure Professionals - Interns


Join COMBINE today!

2023 dues are $99. COMBINE is a 501c4 nonprofit trade association and a  registered nonpartisan nonprofit Small Donor Political Committee.  Contributions not tax deductible.   

Email info@combinebh.org to subscribe to our discussion list, no charge. 


Commissions: Medical (HCPF), Health (DHE), DOI bulletin drafts

DOI Bulletin Drafts for public comment

DOI Notice of Rulemaking Hearings

Are you tracking 2023 General Assembly bills and hearing? 

See the COMBINE Bill Tracker

See the Arc of Colorado Bill Tracker

Click here to register for committee testimony


Do you have a complaint for HCPF?

If so, you can submit your complaint via the Health First Colorado Managed Care Provider Complaint Form.

Do you want clients?  Are you seeking an available therapist for yourself or referral?

COMBINE supports Medicaid members' need for an accurate database of available mental health care providers.

COMBINE providers participate in the CODAPS program by providing weekly availability updates. 

Please see CODAPS at codaps.org 

Have you contacted a Colorado state legislator?  Fill in this form so COMBINE can track contacts.



Oct 4, 2022:  HCPF promotes free education for health services workers.  CLICK HERE.


Revitalizing Colorado’s healthcare workforce with zero-cost, short-term training programs at community and technical colleges.

Care Forward Colorado is revitalizing Colorado’s healthcare workforce through zero-cost, short-term training programs at community and technical colleges. In a year or less, trainees can learn skills to become a certified nursing assistant, emergency services professional, and many more professions that are desperately needed in Colorado’s healthcare facilities.



Have you seen HCPF's Independent Provider Network Forum webpage yet? 

September 30, 2022: UPDATE: For non-BHE Medicaid clinics training university interns and pre-licensure externs, HCPF/RAEs have agreed to use DORA's standard for supervision (3 years post-graduation experience plus supervision classes) and also will review providers with DORA stipulations "case by case".  This is a win for COMBINE's advocacy. 

August 19, 2022   HCPF released their narrative regarding huge disparity in rates received by the independent provider network compared to CMHC rates. The report is neither "independent" as required by law, nor complete.   Read their report.  Read COMBINE's response. 




Are you....

  • Part of the independent provider network (IPN) and feel frustrated and alone working within Colorado's Medicaid system? 
  • Interested in becoming part of the IPN, but feel overwhelmed by the process and the challenges your IPN colleagues face in working with Medicaid?

If so, you're in the right place. You are not alone.

Welcome to COMBINE

COMBINE: Colorado Medicaid Behavioral Health Provider Network brings together Coloradans concerned about the delivery of behavioral healthcare for the Medicaid population. COMBINE is a member driven nonpartisan registered small donor political committee advocating for a diverse, competent, and sustainable Medicaid behavioral healthcare workforce in Colorado.  

Members are both professionals that provide Medicaid behavioral healthcare and the public. COMBINE offers mutual aid to members of the IPN and empowers members to advocate for a behavioral healthcare system that includes the IPN. Join us!

What We're Doing

Advocacy

Medicaid members enjoy legal protections and payers and the state possess resources providers lack.  Together we can offer experience and commitment when advocating for the maintenance and improvement of mental healthcare delivery for Colorado.

Education

The world of public healthcare has history, tensions, and a future.  COMBINE educates members about opportunities, rules, policy, and the actors in Colorado that determine our Medicaid behavioral healthcare future. 

Read more about mental health in Colorado on our "News" page or news about insurance companies here.

Endorsements

Administered by both the federal and state governments, and managed by for-profit and non-profit corporations, state level legislators have influence over Medicaid policy.  COMBINE vets and endorses candidates and scores their actions as legislators.

If you're new to COMBINE and want to know more about what we're about, go to our "For New Members" page.

What We've Helped Accomplish

Below is a snapshot of what COMBINE has helped to accomplish. Go here to see a full list of what we've done.

  • We helped draft the Medicaid Rate Report (HB22-1268), introduced by Reps. Amabile and Holtorf, and "The Medicaid Mental Health Care Prior Authorization and Recoupment Regulation" bill (SB22-156) sponsored by Senate President Fenberg. SB22-156 provides protection for providers from recoupment of paid claims, and limits prior authorization for outpatient care.
  • Advocated for dual enrolled Medicaid/Medicare patients to receive care from LPCs, who cannot participate in Medicare. Approved January 2022.
  • HCPF is now meeting with small representative groups from the IPN.
  • HCPF put recoupment limits of 365 days into RAE contracts.
  • As of February 2022, we have established monthly executive level meetings with CCHA.
  • CCHA stopped their prior authorization requirement, dropped recoupment, and amended their clawback period to 1 year from time of payment.
  • Automatic denials of F64 (gender dysphoria and associated codes) rescinded as of July 1, 2022, manually override of denials required Mar-July 2022.
  • Received clarification from CDPHE, HCPF, OBH, and RAEs, that not all mental healthcare clinics have to apply for expensive Behavioral Health Entity licensing.

What We're Working On

2023: 

  • Legislative Audit Committee expansion of OSA authority to audit RAEs and other system elements. 
  • While the Legislative Audit Committee voted to audit the RAEs in the Spring of 2022, they backtracked (Sept 2022) and now don't want the audit.  COMBINE will continue to advocate for an audit of rates and rate setting policies at the RAEs. 
  • Increase family/couple (CPT 90847) rates to equal or exceed individual rates (CPT 90837)
  • Claim cycle regulations for Medicaid that are the same as for Commercial
  • Rate setting regulation for RAEs/ HCPF
  • Enforce transparency and accuracy in network adequacy reports, legislate a single definition of network adequacy.
  • Transparent medical loss ratio data




Advocacy Resources


COMBINE analyzed the recommendations in the Blueprint to seek common priorities with the task force.  The spreadsheet for tracking progress is public and displays comments and suggestions.

Events

Upcoming events



Colorado Medicaid Behavioral Health Provider Network

3434 47th Street Suite 130 Boulder CO 80301

303 532 6780 info@combinebh.org


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