Stating that the state of Colorado "can't wait for Washington to act," Governor Bill Ritter has announced new health care legislation including ten bills and an executive order. Governor Ritter says that the legislation "will focus on three main areas of health care: increasing cost-savings, efficiencies and accountability; improving public and private systems; and protecting and improving care for women."

Governor Ritter's Executive Order provides for increased efficiency in Medicaid and the state's Children's Basic Health Plan through a requirement that state agencies electronically share citizenship information. This facilitates low-income persons in applying for public assistance programs.

The ten bills are:

--SB 10-167, Concerning the Medicaid Assistance Act, and Creating the Medicaid False Claims Act: will increase administrative efficiencies and strengthen measures in fighting fraud and abuse.

--HB 10-1330, Concerning Creation of an Advisory Committee to Make Recommendations Regarding the Creation of an All-Payer Health Claims Database: The bill requires the executive director of the department of health care policy and financing to appoint an advisory committee to make recommendations regarding the creation of a Colorado all-payer health claims database for the purpose of transparent public reporting of health care information.

--HB 10-1166, Concerning the Use of Plain Language in Insurance Policies: The bill requires that automobile insurance policies, health benefit plans, limited benefit health insurance, dental plans, and long-term care plans that are issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2011, be written at or below the tenth-grade reading level. The current law does not require a readability level.

--HB 10-1242, Concerning the Implementation of a Uniform Application for Individual Health Benefit Plans: The bill requires the commissioner of insurance to implement a uniform application form for individual sickness and accident health benefit plans.

--HB 10-1004, Concerning Standardization of Health Insurance Information Provided to Consumers: The bill requires the commissioner of insurance to establish standard formats for policy forms and explanation of benefit forms provided by health insurance carriers to consumers. The commissioner would seek input from the health insurance industry, consumers, and other stakeholders prior to adopting the rules.

--HB 10-1332, Concerning the Creation of the Medical Clean Claims Transparency and Uniformity Act: The bill creates the Act, which requires the executive director of the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing to establish a task force of industry and government representatives to develop a standardized set of payment rules and claim edits to be used by payers and health care providers in Colorado.

--HB 10-1008, Concerning a Prohibition Against Consideration of Gender in Setting Rates for Individual Health Insurance Policies: The bill prohibits insurance carriers from using gender as a basis for varying premium rates for individual health insurance policies and would declare premium rates based on gender to be unfairly discriminatory.

---HB 10-1252, Concerning Health Care Service for Breast Cancer Screening: The bill requires that breast cancer screening with mammography be individualized for each patient and that if a health care provider deems a mammography to be medically appropriate, it would be a covered benefit.

--SB 10-058, Concerning Eligibility for the Nursing Teacher Loan Forgiveness Pilot Program: The bill changes eligibility requirements for the program, including reducing the required employment in teaching from full time to half time and allowing a teaching position to begin within two years after the completion of the nursing teacher's advanced degree.

---HB 10-1138, Concerning the Program to Repay Educational Loans of Health Care Professionals: Provides incentives for health care professionals to practice in rural and underserved communities, and will improve existing public and private loan repayment programs.

"For three years we have enacted common sense, responsible Colorado reforms to provide affordable, accessible and reliable health care," The Governor stated in a press release. "This legislative session, our focus will continue to be on delivering a better value for each health care dollar spent in Colorado. The bills we are announcing today will make our current health care system more cost-effective and efficient. They will improve public and private insurance and better protect women's health."

Adapted in part from a press release by Governor Ritter.

Read more about the legislation:
Link: http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite?c=Page&childpagename=GovRitter%2FGOVRLayout&cid=1251570956196&pagename=GOVRWrapper