Vote NO on HB 23-1215

Today, House Bill 23-1215 – Limits on Hospital Facility Fees – is scheduled to be heard in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. CHA continues to advocate against any prohibitions of facility fees – the bill still includes prohibitions on fees for telehealth services and preventive care for some hospitals.

From the Video:

Jeff Tieman, CHA President and CEO: “In our state, we have deliberately built a health care system focused more on preventive care to keep people healthy and out of the hospital, because we know that the single best way to improve quality of life and reduce the cost of care is to prevent patients from needing it in the first place. Our system starts with primary care, but also depends on preventive care, much of which can now be delivered through telehealth.”

Hope V. RN, Nurse Navigator: “As a nurse navigator, I help patients navigate complex, multi-specialty care plans. Telehealth appointments are crucial to ensuring access to consistent surgery preparation and follow-up care, especially for my fellow Coloradans who are disabled, immunocompromised or living in one of our state’s many beautiful, yet remote, rural communities.”

Gabrielle B., LCSW, Manager of Outpatient Services: “Unfortunately, Colorado ranks near the bottom for mental health services. It’s providers like me that offer intensive and/or outpatient therapy to those in need in the greater Colorado area. In order to prevent further mental health decline, it’s imperative that these services continue so that the people in Colorado not only survive but thrive.”

Mica S., LPC, Clinical Behavioral Health Therapist: “People struggling with mental health and substance use disorders need consistent support to be able to navigate the challenges of their symptoms in their daily lives. Virtual intensive outpatient programs provide the support patients need in the comfort and convenience of their own homes and prevents the need for more intensive care.”

Jennifer Riley, Rural Hospital CEO: “It’s not enough to carve out rurals – that’s not going to help us. We get a tremendous amount of support from our urban hospitals for outreach, for specialty care. They take care of our underserved. We know that those services would be impacted if this goes through.”

Jeff Tieman, CHA President and CEO: “We learned firsthand during COIVD what it means to patients when health care access is lost or compromised. Our system is designed to deliver care across the entire state in an efficient, cost effective way that brings access to quality care for all Coloradans. We cannot afford to risk that system or the care that it delivers. The costs are simply too great.”