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. 

• 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

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