Colorado Healthcare Affordability and Sustainability Enterprise (CHASE) Newsletter

CHASE Overview

The Colorado Healthcare Affordability and Sustainability Enterprise (CHASE) is a government-owned business operating within HCPF. Its purpose is to charge and collect the healthcare affordability and sustainability fee to obtain federal matching funds to increase hospital reimbursement, improve the quality of care, and increase the number of Coloradans eligible for Health First Colorado and CHP+. A thirteen-member CHASE Board appointed by the governor provides oversight and makes recommendations to the Medical Services Board regarding the program. Information about the CHASE Board and its meetings is available on our website.

Draft 2024-25 CHASE Model Webinar

HCPF invites you to attend a webinar on May 8 to review the upcoming CHASE model. Subject matter experts will answer questions about the model and its methodology. To register for the webinar, please visit this link.

Board Updates

The previous CHASE board meeting occurred on April 22, 2025. The Board reviewed and unanimously approved the Hospital Quality Incentive Payment (HQIP) Program 2026 modifications: Antibiotic Stewardship, HCAHPS, and Zero Suicide. The Board also approved the disbandment of the Hospital Transformation Program Community Advisory Council. Other topics discussed were the CHASE workgroup, current legislation, and a review of the potential impact of federal funding cuts to Medicaid. Please access the agenda, slides, previous meeting handouts, and revised CHASE Workgroup Recommendation.

CHASE State Directed Payments Workgroup Updates

The Colorado Healthcare Affordability and Sustainability Enterprise (CHASE) Board created a workgroup to explore the establishment of a State Directed Payment (SDP) Program as well as reforms to the existing CHASE hospital provider fees and supplemental payments.

The workgroup will develop comprehensive recommendations for the CHASE program for the CHASE Board’s consideration so HCPF can advance a broadly supported proposal to submit to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for implementation by July 1, 2025.

The workgroup members are:

• Josh Block, Deputy Chief Financial Officer, HCPF
• Nancy Dolson, Special Financing Division Director, HCPF
• Dr. Kimberley Jackson, CHASE Board Vice Chair
• Emily King, Senior Policy Advisor/Deputy Director of the Office of Saving People Money on Health Care, Governor's Office
• Annie Lee, President & CEO, Colorado Access
• Shauna Lorenz, Partner, Gjerset & Lorenz LLP
• Tom Rennell, Senior Vice President Financial Policy and Data Analytics, CHA
• Alison Sbrana, Consumer

The workgroup will be facilitated by Government Performance Solutions and assisted by expert consultation and advice from Health Management Associates and Public Consulting Group.

Additional information about the workgroup and its meetings can be found on the CHASE State Directed Payment Program Workgroup website. The workgroup will meet twice monthly beginning in January 2025. Dates and times will be published on the website.

In recent workgroup meetings, members have discussed the project timeline and key points, such as methodology, services to be included in the proposal, types of hospitals to be included, and funding. The workgroup has agreed to use Medicare hospital cost reports for the Average Commercial Rate (ACR) data source, but the group will continue to explore preferred calculation methods and payment designs. The workgroup has also discussed the potential impact of federal funding cuts to Medicaid and how it may affect the workgroup and their timeline.



For more information, please review the agenda and slide deck from the most recent workgroup meeting on April 23, 2025, posted on the webpage.

Please send inquiries about the workgroup to HCPF_CHASE_SDP@state.co.us.

CHASE Report

Annually, the CHASE board produces a report with the assistance of HCPF. The report is due to the legislature each year by January 15. Here is a link to the 2025 CHASE annual report. 

Rural Monitor Grant Program

Senate Bill 24-168 created the Telehealth Remote Monitoring Grant Program which will award up to $500,000 to eligible rural outpatient health care facilities via five (5) $100,000 grants. Grant funds are to be used for implementing telehealth remote monitoring for outpatient clinical services and must be used to: 

a) Pay for the acquisition costs of telehealth remote monitoring equipment and devices 

and 

b) Train staff to use, assess, and monitor telehealth remote monitoring equipment and devices.

The grant will go to eligible rural health care facilities (hospitals, rural health centers, or Federally Qualified Health Centers [FQHC’s]) that provide outpatient clinical services in Colorado and are located in a designated rural county or a designated Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). 

The purpose of the grant program is to enable rural Coloradans to benefit from telehealth remote monitoring services. Access to these services results in better health outcomes and saves money, time, and energy spent on obtaining health care. Telehealth remote monitoring services will provide cost savings for the Health First Colorado (Colorado’s Medicaid program) system by improving rural access to primary care and helping prevent unnecessary trips to the emergency room. In addition, these services are a crucial step toward reducing health disparities and achieving health equity in Colorado.

Please use the following email address for questions or comments regarding the Telehealth Remote Monitoring Grant: hcpf_rmg@state.co.us.

Visit the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (HCPF) website for more information about the program and to learn how to apply for the grant.

Next CHASE Meeting

The next Colorado Healthcare Affordability and Sustainability Enterprise (CHASE) Board meeting will take place via Zoom on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at 3 p.m.  

Additional information about the board, as well as meeting materials, are on the CHASE Board website. Dates and times for upcoming meetings are published on the website.

Contacts

Nancy Dolson: nancy.dolson@state.co.us  

Jeff Wittreich: jeff.wittreich@state.co.us