1570 Grant Street Denver, CO 80203 June 1, 2021 The Honorable Rhonda Fields, Chair Senate Health and Human Services Committee 200 E. Colfax Avenue Denver, CO 80203 Dear Senator Fields: The Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (Department) is submitting this letter along with the behavioral health, mental health, and substance use disorder annual report, pursuant to C.R.S. section 25.5-5-421. C.R.S. 25.5-5-421. Parity reporting – state department – public input. (1) The state department shall require each MCE contracted with the state department to disclose all necessary information in order for the state department, by June 1, 2020, and by each June 1 thereafter, to submit a report to the health and Insurance Committee and the Public Health Care and Human Services Committee of the House of Representatives, or their successor committees, and to the Health and Human Services Committee of the Senate, or its successor committee, regarding behavioral, mental health, and substance use disorder parity. The Department created this year’s annual report following the process for determining mental health parity compliance created by CedarBridge, the contractor selected to perform last year’s annual report and train the Department to perform subsequent reports. Based on the review of the Colorado Medicaid benefit, the Department determined: • The written policies and procedures of the Medicaid benefit are in compliance with all federal and state parity laws for all Non-Quantitative Treatment Limitations except for one. The analysis was informed through stakeholder input sought out specifically for this report as well as acquired throughout the year through various outreach activities. Input was also received from the external quality review analysis required in C.R.S section 25.5-5-421(4), performed by the third-party vendor Health Services Advisory Group. The attached report includes full details of the Department’s analysis. If you require further information or have additional questions, please contact the Department’s Legislative Liaison, Jo Donlin at [email protected] or 303-866-6912. Sincerely, Kim Bimestefer Executive Director KB/STB Enclosure: Behavioral, Mental Health, and Substance Use Disorder Parity Comparative Analysis Report Cc: Senator Joann Ginal, Vice Chair, Health and Human Services Committee Senator Sonya Jaquez Lewis, Health and Human Services Committee Senator Janet Buckner, Health and Human Services Committee Senator Barbara Kirkmeyer, Health and Human Services Committee Senator Jim Smallwood, Health and Human Services Committee Senator Cleave Simpson, Health and Human Services Committee Legislative Council Library State Library John Bartholomew, Finance Office Director, HCPF Tracy Johnson, Medicaid Director, HCPF Tom Massey, Policy, Communications, and Administration Office Director, HCPF Bonnie Silva, Community Living Office Director, HCPF Parrish Steinbrecher, Health Information Office Director, HCPF Rachel Reiter, External Relations Division Director, HCPF 1570 Grant Street Denver, CO 80203 June 1, 2021 The Honorable Dafna Michaelson Jenet, Chair House Public & Behavioral Health Care and Human Services Committee 200 E. Colfax Avenue Denver, CO 80203 Dear Representative Michaelson Jenet: The Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (Department) is submitting this letter along with the behavioral health, mental health, and substance use disorder annual report, pursuant to C.R.S. section 25.5-5-421. C.R.S. 25.5-5-421. Parity reporting – state department – public input. (1) The state department shall require each MCE contracted with the state department to disclose all necessary information in order for the state department, by June 1, 2020, and by each June 1 thereafter, to submit a report to the health and Insurance Committee and the Public Health Care and Human Services Committee of the House of Representatives, or their successor committees, and to the Health and Human Services Committee of the Senate, or its successor committee, regarding behavioral, mental health, and substance use disorder parity. The Department created this year’s annual report following the process for determining mental health parity compliance created by CedarBridge, the contractor selected to perform last year’s annual report and train the Department to perform subsequent reports. Based on the review of the Colorado Medicaid benefit, the Department determined: • The written policies and procedures of the Medicaid benefit are in compliance with all federal and state parity laws for all Non-Quantitative Treatment Limitations except for one. The analysis was informed through stakeholder input sought out specifically for this report as well as acquired throughout the year through various outreach activities. Input was also received from the external quality review analysis required in C.R.S section 25.5-5-421(4), performed by the third-party vendor Health Services Advisory Group. The attached report includes full details of the Department’s analysis. If you require further information or have additional questions, please contact the Department’s Legislative Liaison, Jo Donlin at [email protected] or 303-866-6912 Sincerely, Kim Bimestefer Executive Director KB/STB Enclosure: Behavioral, Mental Health, and Substance Use Disorder Parity Comparative Analysis Report Cc: Representative Emily Sirota, Vice Chair, Public Health Care and Human Services Committee Representative Mary Bradford, Public Health Care and Human Services Committee Representative Lisa Cutter, Public Health Care and Human Services Committee Representative Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, Public Health Care and Human Services Committee Representative Richard Holtorf, Public Health Care and Human Services Committee Representative Iman Jodeh, Public Health Care and Human Services Committee Representative Colin Larson, Public Health Care and Human Services Committee Representative David Ortiz, Public Health Care and Human Services Committee Representative Rod Pelton, Public Health Care and Human Services Committee Representative Naquetta Ricks, Public Health Care and Human Services Committee Representative Dan Woog, Public Health Care and Human Services Committee Representative Mary Young, Public Health Care and Human Services Committee Legislative Council Library State Library John Bartholomew, Finance Office Director, HCPF Tracy Johnson, Medicaid Director, HCPF Tom Massey, Policy, Communications, and Administration Office Director, HCPF Bonnie Silva, Community Living Office Director, HCPF Parrish Steinbrecher, Health Information Office Director, HCPF Rachel Reiter, External Relations Division Director, HCPF 1570 Grant Street Denver, CO 80203 June 1, 2021 The Honorable Susan Lontine, Chair House Health and Insurance Committee 200 E. Colfax Avenue Denver, CO 80203 Dear Representative Lontine: The Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (Department) is submitting this letter along with the behavioral health, mental health, and substance use disorder annual report, pursuant to C.R.S. section 25.5-5-421. C.R.S. 25.5-5-421. Parity reporting – state department – public input. (1) The state department shall require each MCE contracted with the state department to disclose all necessary information in order for the state department, by June 1, 2020, and by each June 1 thereafter, to submit a report to the health and Insurance Committee and the Public Health Care and Human Services Committee of the House of Representatives, or their successor committees, and to the Health and Human Services Committee of the Senate, or its successor committee, regarding behavioral, mental health, and substance use disorder parity. The Department created this year’s annual report following the process for determining mental health parity compliance created by CedarBridge, the contractor selected to perform last year’s annual report and train the Department to perform subsequent reports. Based on the review of the Colorado Medicaid benefit, the Department determined: • The written policies and procedures of the Medicaid benefit are in compliance with all federal and state parity laws for all Non-Quantitative Treatment Limitations except for one. The analysis was informed through stakeholder input sought out specifically for this report as well as acquired throughout the year through various outreach activities. Input was also received from the external quality review analysis required in C.R.S section 25.5-5-421(4), performed by the third-party vendor Health Services Advisory Group. The attached report includes full details of the Department’s analysis. If you require further information or have additional questions, please contact the Department’s Legislative Liaison, Jo Donlin at [email protected] or 303-866-6912. Sincerely, Kim Bimestefer Executive Director KB/STB Enclosure(s): Behavioral, Mental Health, and Substance Use Disorder Parity Comparative Analysis Report Cc: Representative Yadira Caraveo, Vice Chair, Health and Insurance Committee Representative Mark Baisley, Health and Insurance Committee Representative Tonya Van Beber, Health and Insurance Committee Representative Ron Hanks, Health and Insurance Committee Representative Dominique Jackson, Health and Insurance Committee Representative Chris Kennedy, Health and Insurance Committee Representative Karen McCormick, Health and Insurance Committee Representative Kyle Mullica, Health and Insurance Committee Representative David Ortiz, Health and Insurance Committee Representative Matt Soper, Health and Insurance Committee