Bill Sponsor
Colorado Senate Bill 116
Session 2024A
Discounted Care for Indigent Patients
Became Law
Became Law
Signed by Governor on May 31, 2024
Sponsors
Democrat
Janet Buckner
Democrat
Iman Jodeh
First Action
Feb 5, 2024
Latest Action
May 31, 2024
Origin Chamber
Senate
Type
Bill
Bill Number
116
State
Colorado
Session
2024A
Sponsorship by Party
Democrat
Primary
Democrat
Primary
Summary
Current law requires a health-care facility to screen each uninsured patient for eligibility for public health insurance programs, discounted care through the Colorado indigent care program (CICP), and discounted care otherwise not reimbursed through the CICP. A patient qualifies for discounted care if the individual's household income is not more than 250% of the federal poverty level and the individual received a health-care service at a health-care facility (facility). The act limits the health-care services to those received in an inpatient or outpatient hospital setting and adds the requirement that a patient attest to residing in Colorado. The licensed health-care professional who provides services to a patient is responsible for billing the patient for those services, unless the services are billed on a comprehensive bill issued by a health-care facility. Current law prohibits a health-care facility and licensed health-care professional (professional) from collecting amounts charged that are more than 4% of the patient's monthly household income on a bill from a facility and that are more than 2% of the patient's monthly household income on a bill from each professional. The act adds the requirement that a facility or professional cannot collect amounts charged that are more than 6% of the patient's household income on a comprehensive bill containing both facility and professional charges. The act authorizes a health-care facility to deny discounted care to a patient if, during the initial screening, the patient is determined to be presumptively eligible for medicaid. The act excludes primary care provided in a clinic that is located in a designated rural or frontier county and offers a sliding-fee scale from receiving discounted care. Current law requires each facility to report to the department of health care policy and financing (department) data that the department determines is necessary to evaluate compliance across race, ethnicity, age, and primary-language-spoken patient groups with the facility's screening, discounted care, payment plan, and collections practices. The act requires professionals, in addition to facilities, to submit the data. The act authorizes a licensed or certified hospital to determine presumptive eligibility for medicaid. For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $154,598 from the healthcare affordability and sustainability fee cash fund to the department of health care policy and financing to implement the act. APPROVED by Governor May 31, 2024 EFFECTIVE May 31, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Actions (14)
05/31/2024
Office of the Governor
Governor Signed
05/15/2024
Office of the Governor
Sent to the Governor
05/14/2024
House
Signed by the Speaker of the House
05/14/2024
Senate
Signed by the President of the Senate
05/05/2024
House
House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
05/04/2024
House
House Second Reading Special Order - Passed - No Amendments
05/04/2024
House
House Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole
05/02/2024
House
House Committee on Health & Human Services Refer Unamended to Appropriations
04/26/2024
House
Introduced In House - Assigned to Health & Human Services
04/26/2024
Senate
Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
04/25/2024
Senate
Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments - Committee, Floor
04/23/2024
Senate
Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole
02/22/2024
Senate
Senate Committee on Health & Human Services Refer Amended to Appropriations
02/05/2024
Senate
Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Health & Human Services
Sources
Record Created
Feb 6, 2024 12:55:17 AM
Record Updated
Jul 2, 2024 6:43:28 PM