Volume 04| April 2020
COVID-19 Updates
Logo for the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing
Artistic rendition of the Coronavirus
Thank you for serving Health First Colorado (Colorado's Medicaid program) and Child Health Plan  Plus  (CHP+) members.
The Department of Health Care Policy & Financing knows providers, case managers, and county and eligibility partners have many questions about the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and its impact on our programs. We are sharing updates on emergency policies, COVID-19 specific billing codes and other important information on our website at colorado.gov/hcpf/covid and through this and other newsletters.

Providers: Please sign up for general updates, including COVID-19 information, on the  Provider News webpage .

County and Eligibility Partners: Please sign up for County Connections and the HCPF Memo Series.

NEW Statewide Resource: OnwardCO - One-stop resource for the people of Colorado impacted by job loss during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

For comprehensive public health information about COVID-19 in Colorado, refer to the  Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) website . This website includes information for the general public and special resources for health care providers  on patient evaluation, testing, personal protective equipment and many more topics. 

The information in this newsletter provides a weekly summary of COVID-19 guidance for Health First Colorado and CHP+ providers, Regional Accountable Entities, case managers, counties and other eligibility partners. Some audiences may receive audience specific guidance through other Department newsletters; this newsletter is a roundup of all of those communications in one place.
Information for Health First Colorado and CHP+ Providers and Case Managers
Billing Guidance for Primary Care Medical Providers

  • These include questions for case managers, home and community-based services (HCBS), nursing facilities, Intermediate Care Facility (ICF) and Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) Providers.

Guidance Memos

Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) COVID-19 Webinars

The National COVID-Ready Caregiver Certificate Training Program for Frontline Staff
  • Training topics include infection control practices, personal protective equipment, changes to health and safety practices and tips for managing stress and anxiety.
  • Available through May 2 for only $5 per frontline staff member: covidcert.nextstep.careers.
  • Use code COCOVID5 (select 'Click here to enter discount code' on the enrollment page).
  • If you are unable to afford the training fee, please send an email to [email protected].

Information for County and Eligibility Partners
In addition to the Department COVID-19 website, updates will continue to be sent out via existing channels, such as the County Connections e-newsletter and the HCPF Memo Series. Please sign up for these newsletters through the Department website .

County Closure Matrix - County human/social services agencies should complete this matrix if their operations are impacted or closed due to COVID-19.  

Guidance For Operations During This State of Emergency
Information for Members
The Department is collecting Frequently Asked Questions from Health First Colorado and CHP+ members. Responses to the frequent questions will be posted to healthfirstcolorado.com/covid .