HB26-1019 • 2026

Kidney Screening Mandatory Preventive Coverage

The bill adds kidney function screening services as mandated preventive health-care services for which insurance policies or contracts in the state must provide total-cost coverage. Coverage for kidne

Labor

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Rep. J. Bacon, Rep. S. Lieder, Sen. J. Rich, Sen. D. Roberts, Rep. M. Carter, Rep. C. Clifford, Rep. M. Duran, Rep. R. English, Rep. L. García, Rep. L. Goldstein, Rep. E. Hamrick, Rep. J. Joseph, Rep. M. Lindsay, Rep. K. Nguyen, Rep. M. Rutinel, Rep. E. Sirota, Rep. B. Titone, Rep. A. Valdez
Last action: 2026-04-10
Official status: Senate Second Reading Laid Over to 04/27/2026 - No Amendments
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not specify the exact date when the bill takes effect, only that it will take effect after a ninety-day period following final adjournment of the general assembly or upon approval by the people at the general election in November 2026 if a referendum petition is filed.

Kidney Screening Mandatory Preventive Coverage

This bill requires insurance policies in Colorado to cover kidney function screening services without cost-sharing requirements for large employers starting January 1, 2027 and for individual and small group plans starting January 1, 2028.

What This Bill Does

Adds kidney function screening as a mandated preventive health-care service that insurance policies must cover in full.
Requires all large employer health benefit plans to provide coverage for kidney function screening services starting January 1, 2027.
Requires individual and small group health benefit plans to provide the same coverage starting January 1, 2028, unless it would require state funding.

Who It Names or Affects

Insurance companies and health benefit providers in Colorado
Large employers with health benefit plans for their employees
Individuals and small groups purchasing health insurance

Terms To Know

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD): A condition where the kidneys are damaged or not functioning properly, leading to a buildup of waste products in the body.
End-Stage Renal Disease: The final stage of chronic kidney disease when dialysis or a kidney transplant is needed to survive.

Limits and Unknowns

Coverage for individual and small group plans may not be implemented if it requires state funding.
High-deductible health savings account (HSA) plans are exempt from providing full coverage unless they meet federal preventive care standards.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

L.002

HOU Health & Human Services

Passed [*]

Plain English: The amendment adds kidney function screening services as mandatory preventive health-care coverage for insurance policies in Colorado, with specific start dates for different types of plans.

Adds annual kidney function screening services to the list of mandated preventive health-care services that insurance policies must cover without cost-sharing requirements.
Specifies that large employer health benefit plans must provide this coverage starting January 1, 2027.
Requires individual and small group health benefit plans to offer this coverage beginning January 1, 2028.

The amendment text does not specify the exact nature of the screening services beyond mentioning GFR testing and urine tests for albumin and creatinine levels.
There are conditions under which the state may not assume an obligation to provide this coverage, depending on federal regulations.

L.003

Second Reading

Lost [**]

Plain English: The amendment removes specific language from the Health and Human Services Committee Report related to kidney function screening services.

Removes lines 31 through 38 from the Health and Human Services Committee Report.

The exact content of the removed text is not provided, so it's unclear what specific language or details were deleted.

Bill History

2026-04-10 Senate
Senate Second Reading Laid Over to 04/27/2026 - No Amendments
2026-04-08 Senate
Senate Committee on Health & Human Services Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole
2026-03-19 Senate
Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Health & Human Services
2026-03-16 House
House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
2026-03-13 House
House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee
2026-03-11 House
House Committee on Health & Human Services Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
2026-01-14 House
Introduced In House - Assigned to Health & Human Services

Official Summary Text

The bill adds kidney function screening services as
mandated
preventive health-care services for which insurance policies or contracts in the state must provide total-cost coverage. Coverage for kidney function screening services will be implemented for all large employer health benefit policies or contracts issued or renewed in this state
on or
after January 1, 2027, and
coverage will be implemented for
all individual and small group health benefit plans issued or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2028, as long as the state is not required to defray the cost of the coverage of the kidney function screening services.
The bill excludes the 'State Employees Group Benefits Act' from this mandate and exempts certain high deductible plans from having to provide total-cost coverage for such services.
(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)
(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Second Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
REENGROSSED
This Version Includes All Amendments
Adopted in the House of Introduction
LLS NO. 26-0111.01 Renee Leone x2695 HOUSE BILL 26-1019
House Committees Senate Committees
Health & Human Services
A BILL FOR AN ACT
CONCERNING MANDATORY HEALTH-CARE COVERAGE FOR PREVENTIVE101
KIDNEY FUNCTION SCREENING SERVICES.102
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill
passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that
applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at
http://leg.colorado.gov.)
The bill adds kidney function screening services as preventive
health-care services for which insurance policies or contracts in the state
must provide total-cost coverage. Coverage for kidney function screening
services will be implemented for all large employer health benefit policies
or contracts issued or renewed in this state after January 1, 2027, and all
individual and small group health benefit plans issued or renewed in this
HOUSE
3rd Reading Unamended
March 16, 2026
HOUSE
Amended 2nd Reading
March 13, 2026
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Lieder and Bacon, Carter, Clifford, Duran, English, Garcia, Goldstein, Hamrick, Joseph,
Lindsay, Nguyen, Rutinel, Sirota, Titone, Valdez
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Roberts,
Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law.
state on or after January 1, 2028, as long as the state is not required to
defray the cost of the coverage of the kidney function screening services.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. Legislative declaration. (1) The general assembly2
finds and declares that:3
(a) Chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease impose a4
severe health and financial burden on Colorado residents. In 2021, over5
8,000 Colorado residents were being treated for end-stage renal disease,6
with 4,994 of those residents depending on dialysis to stay alive. The7
annual insurance costs for chronic kidney disease in Colorado have8
reached $457 million with patients paying nearly $58 million9
out-of-pocket. According to the centers for disease control and prevention10
in the federal department of health and human services, one out of every11
7 adult Americans has chronic kidney disease, and up to 90% of those12
individuals do not know that they have it. The number of individuals who13
have chronic kidney disease is disproportionately higher in minority14
communities.15
(b) Early screening for chronic kidney disease is essential but16
currently underutilized in Colorado. Among the 800,206 Coloradans who17
have hypertension, diabetes, or both hypertension and diabetes, an18
estimated 144,217 individuals likely have advanced, stages four or five,19
chronic kidney disease but many remain undiagnosed due to inadequate20
screening. Screening is critical because it allows for earlier diagnosis and21
cheaper interventions, which prevent the significant rise in cost and strain22
on the health-care system that occurs when chronic kidney disease is23
diagnosed late and, as a result, is often more advanced.24
(c) Early detection through screening is cost-effective and25
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prevents disease progression. Each comprehensive kidney function1
screening test includes serum creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration2
rate, and urine albumin-creatinine testing. This modest investment in3
preventive care can identify kidney disease at earlier and more treatable4
stages.5
(d) Without early detection, the financial burden of chronic kidney6
disease escalates dramatically as the condition progresses. Patient7
out-of-pocket expenses rise from an average of $280 annually for stage8
one chronic kidney disease to $10,183 for end-stage renal disease. 9
(e) The kidney disease prevention and education task force,10
established pursuant to House Bill 21-1171, enacted in 2021, conducted11
a comprehensive study and identified early detection through accessible12
screening as critical to reducing both health complications and the13
financial strain of kidney disease on Colorado residents and the Colorado14
health-care system.15
(2) The general assembly further declares that the purpose of this16
act is to:17
(a) Implement the recommendations of the kidney disease18
prevention and education task force by requiring health insurance19
coverage for annual preventive kidney function screening services20
without cost-sharing requirements;21
(b) Remove financial barriers that currently prevent early22
diagnosis of chronic kidney disease, particularly among high-risk23
populations with hypertension or diabetes;24
(c) Enable timely medical intervention before kidney disease25
progresses to costly advanced stages that require dialysis or kidney26
transplantation;27
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(d) Reduce the overall financial burden of kidney disease on1
Colorado patients, insurance plans, and state health-care programs2
through cost-effective preventive care; and3
(e) Improve health outcomes for Colorado residents by facilitating4
earlier detection and treatment of chronic kidney disease.5
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 10-16-104, amend6
(18)(a)(I) introductory portion; and add (18)(b.8) as follows:7
10-16-104. Mandatory coverage provisions - applicability -8
rules - legislative declaration - definitions.9
(18) Prevention health-care services - legislative declaration10
- rules - definitions.11
(a) (I) The following policies and contracts that are issued or12
renewed in this state must provide coverage for the total cost of the13
preventive health-care services specified in subsections (18)(b), (18)(b.3),14
and (18)(b.7), AND (18)(b.8) of this section:15
(b.8) (I) THE COVERAGE REQUIRED BY THIS SUBSECTION (18) MUST16
INCLUDE ANNUAL KIDNEY FUNCTION SCREENING SERVICES DESIGNED TO17
IDENTIFY PATIENTS AT RISK FOR CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE , INCLUDING18
GLOMERULAR FILTRATION RATE, OR "GFR", TESTING AND URINE TESTING19
FOR SCREENING ALBUMIN AND CREATININE LEVELS.20
(II) A LL LARGE EMPLOYER HEALTH BENEFIT PLANS ISSUED OR21
RENEWED IN THIS STATE ON OR AFTER JANUARY 1, 2027, SHALL PROVIDE22
COVERAGE FOR KIDNEY FUNCTION SCREENING SERVICES.23
(III) (A) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBSECTION (18)(b.8)(III)(B) OF24
THIS SECTION, AND TO THE EXTENT THAT SUCH COVERAGE IS NOT IN25
ADDITION TO BENEFITS PROVIDED PURSUANT TO THE STATE BENCHMARK26
PLAN REQUIRED PURSUANT TO 45 CFR 156.111, ALL INDIVIDUAL AND27
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SMALL GROUP HEALTH BENEFIT PLANS ISSUED OR RENEWED IN THIS STATE1
ON OR AFTER JANUARY 1, 2028, SHALL PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR KIDNEY2
FUNCTION SCREENING SERVICES.3
(B) SUBSECTION (18)(b.8)(III)(A) OF THIS SECTION IS INOPERATIVE4
AND THE STATE SHALL NOT ASSUME AN OBLIGATION FOR THE COVERAGE5
REQUIRED PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION (18)(b.8)(III)(A) OF THIS SECTION6
IF THE DIVISION DETERMINES THAT THE BENEFIT SPECIFIED IN SUBSECTION7
(18)(b.8)(III)(A) OF THIS SECTION REQUIRES STATE DEFRAYAL OF THE8
COST OF COVERAGE PURSUANT TO A PROVISION OF THE FEDERAL ACT ,9
INCLUDING 42 U.S.C. SEC. 18031 (d)(3)(B) OR A SUCCESSOR PROVISION,10
AND THE IMPLEMENTING REGULATIONS OR THE STATE IS OTHERWISE11
REQUIRED TO DEFRAY THE COST OF COVERAGE REQUIRED PURSUANT TO12
SUBSECTION (18)(b.8)(III)(A) OF THIS SECTION.13
(IV) THE COVERAGE REQUIRED BY THIS SUBSECTION (18)(b.8) MAY14
BE OFFERED THROUGH A HIGH DEDUCTIBLE PLAN THAT WOULD QUALIFY15
FOR A HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNT PURSUANT TO 26 U.S.C. SEC . 223;16
EXCEPT THAT A CARRIER MAY APPLY DEDUCTIBLE AMOUNTS FOR THE17
REQUIRED COVERAGE IF IT IS NOT CONSIDERED BY THE UNITED STATES18
DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY TO BE PREVENTIVE OR TO HAVE AN19
ACCEPTABLE DEDUCTIBLE.20
SECTION 3. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 24-50-605, amend21
(1)(f) as follows:22
24-50-605. Group benefit plans - specifications - contracts.23
(1) (f) The specifications drawn by the director for any group24
benefit plans shall MUST include the mandated coverages required by25
section 10-16-104; C.R.S. EXCEPT THAT THE SPECIFICATIONS MUST NOT26
INCLUDE COVERAGE FOR KIDNEY FUNCTION SCREENING SERVICES, AS27
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DESCRIBED IN SECTION 10-16-104 (18)(b.8).1
SECTION 4. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act2
takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the3
ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly (August4
12, 2026, if adjour nment sine die is on May 13, 2026); except that, if a5
referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the6
state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act7
within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect8
unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in9
November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the10
official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.11
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