Tag: Health
-
Colorado health officials confirm deadly hantavirus case
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. — State and local health officials have confirmed a fatal case of hantavirus in Colorado. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said it is working with the Douglas County Health Department to investigate a confirmed case of hantavirus in a Douglas County adult that resulted in death. CDPHE said the…
-
Hantavirus outbreak is not like COVID-19 pandemic, CDC says
Hantavirus is not a COVID-19 sequel. Infectious disease experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who refer to the outbreak on the cruise ship that’s been in the news as the Andes virus, describe the risk to the American public as “extremely low” because it is not spread as easily from person-to-person as…
-
Hickenlooper hears stories on Medicaid, health costs at Denver Health
U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper went to Denver Health on Tuesday to hear how rising health care costs and federal policy changes are affecting patients. He got an earful. Hospital staff shared stories about Medicaid patients who lost eligibility — and then a limb or their life. Dr. Stephanie Augustine, a family medicine physician, told of…
-
Colorado measles cases surge, near highest level in decades
With nearly 20 measles cases so far this year, Colorado is on track to record its highest number of infections since the disease was declared eradicated in the U.S. in 2000. Last week, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment confirmed a measles case in an unvaccinated Lake County teenager. As of April 28,…
-
9 Colorado hospitals at risk of closing due to Medicaid cuts
The $900 billion in Medicaid cuts over the next decade could threaten the viability of more than 400 hospitals nationally and at least nine in Colorado, a new report has found. The hospitals span the Front Range and rural communities, from Denver Health — the region’s primary safety-net provider — to smaller hospitals in places…
-
Unsustainable: How Colorado’s Medicaid spending exploded
The state’s Medicaid program — which covers about one in four Coloradans — is poised for its largest single-year jump in at least two decades, with officials proposing a $2.3 billion increase, even as lawmakers face a $1.5 billion budget shortfall. The data shows Medicaid enrollment has grown steadily, while spending has increased far more…
-
Measles outbreak prompts 80 exclusions at Broomfield schools
Editor’s note: This story was updated after publication to include additional information from Boulder Valley School District about the academic supports available to students who are excluded from school during the measles outbreak. Eighty unvaccinated students and staff at Broomfield middle and high schools are not allowed to attend class in the wake of a…
-
Colorado board delays vote on banning soda purchases with SNAP benefits
The Colorado Board of Human Services voted to delay its decision on whether to allow Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients to use benefits to buy soft drinks. Under the “Healthy Choice Waiver,” SNAP recipients would be prohibited from using benefits to purchase sweetened beverages with less than 50% fruit or vegetable juice by volume, such…
-
Colorado declares measles outbreak after third case linked to Broomfield school
An unvaccinated Adams County child who tested positive for measles is tied to a case from Broomfield High School last month, leading state health officials to declare an outbreak. Colorado has four measles cases to date, amid a national outbreak. The other cases are in Broomfield and Arapahoe counties. The latest case, state officials said,…
-
Federal audit finds $77.8M in improper Medicaid payments for Colorado autism therapy
Colorado’s Medicaid payments for a therapeutic program for individuals with autism increased 172% in four years, prompting a federal audit by the Office of the Inspector General. Auditors found Colorado made $77.8 million in improper Medicaid payments for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to children. ABA is a therapeutic approach that centers on managing symptoms by…