GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLO. – March 23, 2023 –

CHA continues to have conversations with the bill sponsors and proponents of House Bill 23-1215, the prohibition on hospital facility fees. The Association remains steadfastly opposed to the bill as introduced and has concerns with proposed amendments that proponents have shared this week. While there appears to be a growing realization of some of the consequences of the introduced bill that was based on misguided and misinformed information, it is essential to recognize that any prohibition on facility fees will harm access to care.

At the same time, CHA and its member hospitals and health systems understand legitimate concerns about unexpected bills and ongoing struggles with health care costs. As a result, Colorado hospitals are willing to support a properly scoped independent study and, where possible, greater consumer-facing transparency for hospital bills. Our hope is that a study can help stakeholders and policymakers make more informed decisions about ensuring the availability of outpatient health care services, identify opportunities to address concerns, and improve the patient experience. We are encouraged by the bill sponsors’ understanding of the importance of a study and hope to help craft policy to support that aim.

About Colorado Hospital Association

Colorado Hospital Association (CHA) is the leading voice of Colorado’s hospital and health system community. Representing more than 100 member hospitals and health systems throughout the state, CHA serves as a trusted, credible and reliable resource on health issues, hospital data and trends for its members, media, policymakers and the general public. Through CHA, Colorado’s hospitals and health systems work together in their shared commitment to improve health and health care in Colorado. Learn more at www.cha.com.

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