Tag: Health Care
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Colorado candidates for governor share plans to tackle youth mental health crisis
Three candidates for Colorado’s highest elected office laid out their plans to address the state’s youth mental health crisis during a forum on Thursday. Democratic Attorney General Phil Weiser, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, and Republican State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer fielded questions about expanding access to mental health care for children, addressing the workforce shortage, and…
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Colorado legislature pushes AI rules targeting health care, therapy and chatbots
With just days left in the 2026 legislative session, Colorado lawmakers are rushing a trio of artificial intelligence bills to Gov. Jared Polis, aiming to set rules on artificial intelligence in the areas of health care, therapy and consumer-facing chatbots. As technology advances at breakneck speed, lawmakers have been scrambling to establish regulations, particularly regarding…
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Democrats want Colorado colleges to provide abortion medication
A bill proposing to require Colorado colleges and universities to provide abortion medication services cleared a legislative committee on Thursday. Advocates said the measure — which exempts religious-based institutions but applies to public, private, and community colleges — will improve access to abortion, while opponents argue it would force educational institutions to take a side…
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Colorado legislators drove up cost of Medicaid program
Some of Colorado’s spending woes in Medicaid can be traced to lawmakers who had approved new or expanded programs in the last few years, driving up state costs to the tune of tens of millions of dollars. Just three measures passed in the past five years, for example, would cost the state more than $80…
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Colorado lawmakers approve $150,000 ibogaine study bill targeting PTSD and addiction
The Colorado House Health and Human Services Committee advanced a bill that would create a $150,000 research pilot program to study the safety and effectiveness of ibogaine, a psychoactive compound that claims to treat post-traumatic stress disorder, opioid addiction, and other mental health conditions. The bill ultimately passed on a 12-1 committee vote, with Rep.…
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Colorado voters to decide whether to ban gender surgeries for minors
Colorado voters will decide this November whether to prohibit gender surgeries for minors and bar public funding or insurance coverage for procedures that alter children’s biological sex characteristics. The measure qualified for the ballot amid a push by the federal government to halt such surgical procedures and hormonal treatment, a move that has begun to…
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Colorado Medicaid probe uncovers millions of dollars in alleged transport fraud ring
Colorado Medicaid officials detected $25 million in abnormal billing over just four months two years ago — a surge that prompted a new state law and the suspension of dozens of providers in what authorities now describe as an organized fraud ring. State and federal prosecutors have since charged two transportation providers in separate indictments,…
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Colorado lawmakers target ‘ghost networks’ to expand access to mental health care
A few years ago, the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance conducted a “secret shopper” survey on health insurance plans across six states, including Colorado. Of the 120 providers called, one-third were either inaccurately listed in the carrier database, out of service, or did not return the call. Only half of all calls to providers in…
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Colorado budget writers put Medicaid caregiver pay cuts on hold
The Colorado General Assembly’s budget decision-makers have put proposed pay cuts on hold for people who care for a family member with a disability who receives Medicaid. The Joint Budget Committee made the decision after hours of testimony from family caregivers and several advocates. The Department of Health Care Policy and Financing has been struggling…
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Federal judge declines to dismiss strike-breaking nurses’ lawsuit over wage violations
A federal judge last week declined to dismiss 39 nursing employees’ claims for compensation against a Greenwood Village-based company for its alleged violations of state and federal law. U.S. Nursing Corporation employs health care professionals to cross the picket lines during strikes. During a three-day strike in October 2023 at Kaiser Permanente facilities, USN sent…