Department of Health Care Policy & Financing Supplemental

Plain English: This amendment adds about $1.5 million in funding to help remove limits on home care hours for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

• Increases the total budget by striking old numbers and replacing them with higher amounts totaling an extra $2,485,500 across different fund types.
• Removes a cap that currently limits how many hours of homemaker services can be provided by family members or legally responsible persons.
• Raises the maximum number of annual hours available for personal care, homemaker help, and health maintenance activities.

• The amendment was marked as 'Lost' during its second reading stage, meaning it did not pass in this form.
• Specific details on exactly which services or individuals qualify under the new rules are not included in this short text.

Plain English: This amendment moves about $2.5 million in funding within the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing to remove a yearly limit on hours for personal care services given to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

• Reduces spending from the Executive Director's Office by moving money away from staff salaries.
• Increases funding for Medical Service Premiums using the moved money.
• Removes the annual cap on how many hours of personal care, homemaker services, and health maintenance activities can be provided to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

• The amendment was voted down (lost) in the House during its second reading.
• Specific details about which exact programs or individuals receive these hours are not included in this text.

Plain English: This amendment adds a new instruction telling the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing to focus on keeping costs low for health benefits provided to children who cannot access care due to their immigration status.

• It requires the department to use basic, medically necessary coverage standards for this specific program.
• It directs the department to find every possible way to lower the cost per person in the Health Benefits for Children Lacking Access Due To Immigration Status program.

• The amendment text does not specify exactly which strategies or methods must be used to cut costs.
• This proposal was marked as 'Lost' during its second reading, meaning it did not pass and is not part of the final law.

Plain English: This amendment shifts money from a program for children without access to health care due to immigration status toward increasing payment rates for medical providers.

• It reduces funding by $49 million in the General Fund for health benefits provided to children who lack coverage because of their immigration status.
• It adds $138.5 million in total funds, including $49 million from the General Fund, to a program that pays premiums and covers medical services for Medicaid-eligible individuals.
• The amendment specifies that this new money is intended specifically to increase the rates paid to healthcare providers.

• This amendment was voted down (lost) during its second reading, so it did not become part of the final bill.
• Some specific line item numbers and total fund adjustments are listed in technical tables that cannot be fully explained without seeing the original budget document.

Plain English: This amendment changes the budget numbers for Colorado's health department to cut funding for children without legal immigration status while adding money to increase payments to medical providers.

• It reduces General Fund spending by $49 million on health benefits for children who lack access due to their immigration status.
• It adds a new budget line item with $108.2 million in total funds, including $38.3 million from the state's General Fund.

• The amendment text does not explain exactly how provider rates will be increased or which specific providers receive the money.
• Because this amendment was voted down and lost in the Senate, these budget changes were never made to the final law.