KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Colorado

HB26-1366 • 2026

Denver Health Federal Funds for Physician Services

Joint Budget Committee. The bill allows money collected from the hospital provider fee to be used to maximize reimbursement through state-directed payments for physician services at Denver health and

Budget Healthcare
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Rep. K. Brown, Rep. E. Sirota, Sen. J. Amabile, Sen. B. Kirkmeyer, Rep. R. Taggart, Sen. J. Bridges, Rep. M. Lindsay
Last action
2026-04-14
Official status
Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary does not provide details about specific appropriations or anticipated federal funding, which were included in the candidate explanation.

Denver Health Federal Funds for Physician Services

This bill allows money from hospital provider fees to be used to increase payments for doctors' services at Denver Health and Hospital Authority.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows the use of hospital provider fee funds to maximize reimbursement for physician services at Denver Health and Hospital Authority through state-directed payments.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Denver Health and Hospital Authority
  • Physicians providing services at Denver Health

Terms To Know

Hospital Provider Fee
A fee collected from hospitals to support healthcare affordability and sustainability.
State-Directed Payment Program
A program where the state directs payments for specific services, in this case physician services at Denver Health.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how much money will be available from hospital provider fees.
  • It is unclear what additional regulations or rules may apply to the use of these funds beyond those already established by federal law.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-14 Senate

    Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole

  2. 2026-04-13 Senate

    Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Appropriations

  3. 2026-04-11 House

    House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments

  4. 2026-04-10 House

    House Third Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments

  5. 2026-04-09 House

    House Second Reading Special Order - Passed - No Amendments

  6. 2026-04-08 House

    House Second Reading Special Order - Laid Over Daily - No Amendments

  7. 2026-04-06 House

    House Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole

  8. 2026-04-02 House

    Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations

Official Summary Text

Joint Budget Committee.
The bill allows money collected from the hospital provider fee to be used to maximize reimbursement through state-directed payments for physician services at Denver health and hospital authority.
The bill makes a cash fund appropriation to the department of health care policy and financing.
(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. 26-0927.01 Chelsea Princell x4335 HOUSE BILL 26-1366
House Committees Senate Committees
Appropriations
A BILL FOR AN ACT
CONCERNING ENHANCING STATE-DIRECTED PAYMENTS FOR PHYSICIAN101
SERVICES RENDERED BY MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS AT DENVER102
HEALTH AND HOSPITAL AUTHORITY , AND , IN CONNECTION103
THEREWITH, MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.104
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 w ill be av ailable at
http://leg.colorado.gov/.)
Joint Budget Committee. The bill allows money collected from
the hospital provider fee to be used to maximize reimbursement through
state-directed payments for physician services at Denver health and
HOUSE
3rd Reading Unamended
April 11, 2026
HOUSE
2nd Reading Unamended
April 9, 2026
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Brown and Sirota, Taggart, Lindsay
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Amabile and Kirkmeyer, Bridges
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.
hospital authority.
The bill makes a cash fund appropriation to the department of
health care policy and financing.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revi sed Statutes, 25.5-4-402.4, add2
(5)(b)(I.7) and (9)(l.5) as follows:3
25.5-4-402.4. Hospitals - healthcare affordability and4
sustainability hospital provider fee - healthcare affordability and5
sustainability nursing facility provider fee - healthcare affordability6
and sustainability intermediate care facility fee - receipt of public7
funds - Colorado healthcare affordability and sustainability8
enterprise - federal waiver - funds created - reports - rules -9
legislative declaration - definitions - repeal.10
(5) Healthcare affordability and sustainability hospital11
provider fee cash fund.12
(b) All money in the hospital provider fee cash fund is subject to13
federal matching as authorized under federal law and, subject to annual14
appropriation by the general assembly, shall be expended by the15
enterprise for the following purposes:16
(I.7) TO MAXIMIZE REIMBURSEMENT FOR PHYSICIAN SERVICES AT17
DENVER HEALTH AND HOSPITAL AUTHORITY THROUGH A STATE-DIRECTED18
PAYMENT PROGRAM, AS PERMITTED IN 42 CFR 438.6(c).19
(9) Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context20
otherwise requires:21
(l.5) "P HYSICIAN SERVICES " MEANS MEDICALLY NECESSARY22
SERVICES THAT ARE RENDERED BY A LICENSED PHYSICIAN OR QUALIFIED23
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL AND ARE BILLED SEPARATELY FROM HOSPITAL24
1366-2-
FACILITY FEES.1
SECTION 2. Appropriation. (1) For the 2026-27 state fiscal2
year, $3,527,482 is appropriated to the department of health care policy3
and financing. This appropriation is from the healthcare affordability and4
sustainability hospital provider fee cash fund created in section5
25.5-4-402.4 (5)(a)(I). To implement this act, the department may use this6
appropriation for medical and long-term care services for7
Medicaid-eligible individuals.8
(2) For the 2026-27 state fiscal year, the general assembly9
anticipates that the department of health care policy and financing will10
receive $7,803,973 in federa l funds fo r medical and long-term care11
services for Medicaid-eligible individuals to implement this act. The12
appropriation in subsection (1) of this section is based on the assumption13
that the department will receive this amount of federal funds.14
SECTION 3. Safety clause. The general assembly finds,15
determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate16
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for17
the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state18
institutions.19
1366-3-