Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Colorado Public Radio: Out-Of-State Patients Seeking Abortions Arrive In Record Numbers
As of September, 2,477 people from out of state have received abortion care in Colorado, according to provisional data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, which is nearly 1,000 more people than Colorado saw last year. It’s the highest number of out-of-state patients Colorado has seen since in recent years. In 2019, for example, fewer than 1,000 out-of-state patients received abortion care in Colorado. (Cleveland, 10/17_
The (Colorado Springs) Gazette: Colorado's 462 Faces Of Fentanyl
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment estimates 462 people in Colorado have died in the fentanyl overdose epidemic this year through August. That number is on the low side, as investigations and post-mortem toxicology can take several months or more to complete, according to CDPHE statistician Kirk Bol. (McKinley, 10/28)
The Denver Post: Violence Toward Hospital Staff Escalating Despite Colorado Felony Law
Colorado has a law making it a felony to hit staff in the emergency room, but the state still hasn’t been spared from the nationwide pattern of increasing violence against health care workers. Amanda Miller, a nurse manager at UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital’s emergency department, said nurses are accustomed to dealing with patients screaming at them, but patients have been more likely to escalate to physical assault in recent years. (Wingerter, 10/16)
The Colorado Sun: Medicaid Denials For Colorado Children With Severe Disabilities Set Off Panic
The state Medicaid program has notified parents of children with medical needs so severe they need round-the-clock nursing care at home that their services have been denied or reduced. At least 20 families have hired legal counsel to fight the denials and about 150 people attended a Medicaid children with disabilities meeting to discuss the denial letters, which were received during the past few weeks. (Brown, 10/28)
The (Grand Junction) Daily Sentinel: Mind Springs Faces More Scrutiny That CEO Says Is Unfounded
Rocky Mountain Health Plans, which handles Medicaid billing for the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, has suspended new authorizations for payments for in-patient mental health services at Mind Springs Health. Rocky Mountain is investigating claims that the mental health provider is falling down on the job when it comes to its treatment of adolescent and child patients. (Ashby, 10/3)
Colorado Public Radio: Health Insurance Rates Climbing Higher Next Year
Coloradans who buy their health insurance on the state’s exchange — and not through an employer — will see rates increase by 10.4 percent next year. The rates will rise 7.4 percent for small employers with up to 100 employees. The Colorado Division of Insurance on Tuesday announced final rates for 2023. Open enrollment runs Nov. 1 through Jan. 15, 2023. (Daley, 10/26)
Denver Post: Winter Respiratory Viruses Get Early Start
Since the start of October, four adults and 94 children have been hospitalized in Colorado for respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, which is more than is typical at this time of year. RSV hospitalizations usually peak in January or February, according to data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. (Wingerter, 10/23)
The Denver Post: Post-Hospital Center For Unhoused Patients Is Opening In Denver
The John Parvensky Recuperative Care Center will have 75 beds for people referred by hospitals because they have nowhere else to go, said Cathy Alderman, chief communications and public policy officer at the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. The hope is that the patients will avoid being hospitalized again, and possibly move into more stable housing after their stay, she said during a tour of the site Thursday. (Wingerter, 10/7)
The (Grand Junction) Daily Sentinel: Mesa County Opts Out Of State Family Leave Law
Mesa County joined dozens of other local governments around the state Tuesday to opt out of participating in the state’s new Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program. That program, which is mandatory for most private businesses, is optional for local governments. Those governments that choose not to participate, as the law allows, not only frees them from having to pay premiums into the insurance plan, but their employees, too. (Ashby, 10/7)
The (Colorado Springs) Gazette: Humana To Withdraw From The Employer Health Insurance Market
Humana, which provides health insurance to small businesses in Colorado, intends to withdraw from the Colorado employer group market within the next 18 months. Humana announced its intention to leave the state market in a letter sent to Colorado brokers and agents, who sell its policies. (Goodland, 10/25)
The Colorado Sun: Bright Health Pulls Out Of Colorado Insurance Market
Health insurance company Bright Health announced Tuesday that it won’t offer insurance plans in Colorado next year, meaning roughly 55,000 people in the state will need to find new coverage. The decision is part of a move by Bright to pull out of every state in which it operates but two — Florida and California — as it struggles for profitability. (Ingold, 10/12)
Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo's Parkview Medical Center System To Merge With UCHealth In 2023
Parkview Health System, one of three community hospitals left in Colorado, intends to join the UCHealth network of hospitals next year. Parkview and UCHealth officials signed a letter of intent to form the partnership. (Harmon, 10/11)
The (Fort Collins) Coloradoan: Medical Center Of The Rockies In Loveland Plans $280M Expansion
Medical Center of the Rockies is planning a $280 million expansion that will add roughly 100 beds, nearly double the capacity of the emergency department and add a specialized cancer center at the Loveland campus. It will expand the hospital's capacity from 187 to 283 with room to grow up to 319 beds. (Ferrier, 10/4)
