Health Care Talk (HCTalk.com)

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http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100119/NEWS01/1190309/Kefalas-bill-to-push-medical-cost-database

Colorado's Health Care Related Legislation

Because the Coloradoan leaves their articles on-line for such a few days I have copied the entire article into this site:

Health-care-related legislation

> HB1004 would require the Colorado Commissioner of Insurance to adopt rules that would establish a standard format for health insurance policy forms and "explanation of benefit" claim letters. If passed, all health insurance carriers would be required to comply with the new formatting requirements by July 1, 2011.

> HB1005 would make at-home telemedicine eligible for reimbursement under Colorado's medical assistance program and would drop the requirement that reimbursement rates from telemedicine be budget neutral.

> HB1021 would require individual sickness and accident insurance policies to provide the same coverage for maternity care as is required for group sickness and accident insurance policies. The bill also would require both individual and group policies to cover for pregnancy management, including contraceptives, drugs and devices. Abortion is not covered under the bill.

> HB1022, co-sponsored by Kefalas, would require the Colorado Department of Human Services, as part of the state's supplemental nutrition assistance program, to create an outreach plan to promote access to federal food benefits for eligible Coloradans.

> HB1024 would prevent advance-practice nurses from being able to declare a patient terminally ill in order to trigger end-of-life decisions, leaving that responsibility only to physicians.

> HB1025 would update the Colorado Medical Treatment Decision Act, clarifying options available to terminally ill patients. The bill would define how an adult can make end-of-life decisions before becoming terminally ill or living in a persistent vegetative state and how a doctor can withhold life-sustaining medical procedures.

> HB1027 would extend the availability of hospice and palliative care under Medicaid to patients with a life expectancy prognosis of nine months. Currently, hospice care is available under Medicaid only to those with a prognosis of six months or less.

> SB002 would, among other things, require a health insurance company to notify a patient's designated representative of any denial of coverage and require the state to provide recipients of public medical benefits with information about the patient's right to appeal a denial of health-care benefits. The bill would also make the state Department of Health Care Policy and Financing a Medicaid patient's designated representative under certain circumstances.

> SB020 would establish a schedule of fees for compensating health-care providers serving patients under the CoverColorado program.

> SB049, co-sponsored by Sen. Bob Bacon, D-Fort Collins, would increase the benefits paid by the Life and Health Insurance Protection Association. Currently, if an insurance company that is a member of the association becomes insolvent, an insured patient will be paid a maximum of $100,000 of long-term care benefits and $100,000 in annuity benefits. The bill would increase the annuity benefits limit to $250,000 and long-term care benefits to $300,000.
Health-care-related bills

> HB1004 would require the Colorado Commissioner of Insurance to adopt rules that would establish a standard format for health insurance policy forms and "explanation of benefit" claim letters. If passed, all health insurance carriers would be required to comply with the new formatting requirements by July 1, 2011.

> HB1005 would make at-home telemedicine eligible for reimbursement under Colorado's medical assistance program and would drop the requirement that reimbursement rates from telemedicine be budget neutral.

> HB1021 would require individual sickness and accident insurance policies to provide the same coverage for maternity care as is required for group sickness and accident insurance policies. The bill also would require both individual and group policies to cover for pregnancy management, including contraceptives, drugs and devices. Abortion is not covered under the bill.

> HB1022, co-sponsored by Kefalas, would require the Colorado Department of Human Services, as part of the state's supplemental nutrition assistance program, to create an outreach plan to promote access to federal food benefits for eligible Coloradans.

> HB1024 would prevent advance-practice nurses from being able to declare a patient terminally ill in order to trigger end-of-life decisions, leaving that responsibility only to physicians.

> HB1025 would update the Colorado Medical Treatment Decision Act, clarifying options available to terminally ill patients. The bill would define how an adult can make end-of-life decisions before becoming terminally ill or living in a persistent vegetative state and how a doctor can withhold life-sustaining medical procedures.

> HB1027 would extend the availability of hospice and palliative care under Medicaid to patients with a life expectancy prognosis of nine months. Currently, hospice care is available under Medicaid only to those with a prognosis of six months or less.

> SB002 would, among other things, require a health insurance company to notify a patient's designated representative of any denial of coverage and require the state to provide recipients of public medical benefits with information about the patient's right to appeal a denial of health care benefits. The bill would also make the state Department of Health Care Policy and Financing a Medicaid patient's designated representative under certain circumstances.

> SB020 would establish a schedule of fees for compensating health-care providers serving patients under the CoverColorado program.

> SB049, co-sponsored by Sen. Bob Bacon, D-Fort Collins, would increase the benefits paid by the Life and Health Insurance Protection Association. Currently, if an insurance company that is a member of the association becomes insolvent, an insured patient will be paid a maximum of $100,000 of long-term care benefits and $100,000 in annuity benefits. The bill would increase the annuity benefits limit to $250,000 and long-term care benefits to $300,000.