October 16, 2019
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Program Contact

COHTP@state.co.us
This month continues the tradition of unpredictable falls in Colorado, once again proving October is never too early for snow! 

Beginning next month, the Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (the Department) will begin our public notice and comment period for the 1115 waiver component of the Hospital Transformation Program (HTP). This will include public hearings as well as opportunities to submit written feedback on the program. Information about the process will continue to be posted on the HTP website under the "Federal Approval Process" section of the page. Those not already receiving email communications about HTP should contact Courtney Ronner, Hospital Relations & Communication Manager, to be added to the communications list. As always, please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

Best,

Matt Haynes
Special Finance Projects Manager


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Rural Support Fund
As we mentioned in a previous edition of the HTP Newsletter, the Department is in the process of working with a small group of hospitals to discuss the Rural Support Fund component of the HTP.
 
Pending approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), this part of the program will be under 1115 waiver authority to provide additional resources for non-resort, critical access and frontier hospitals. For some rural hospital communities, implementing quality-based initiatives on top of insufficient operational strategies or infrastructure may not allow the hospitals to prepare for the needs of the communities they serve or the payment methodologies of the future. Through the Rural Support Fund, select rural hospitals will be eligible to receive additional support payments to prepare for alternative payment methodologies through strategic planning and financial modeling, and then to operationalize those strategies.
 
A proposed overview of the Rural Support Fund can be found on the HTP website. The Department continues to hold meetings with a small group of hospitals to learn ways to better support rural hospitals through implementation. The Rural Support Fund proposal will be developed with input from stakeholders and in consultation with the Colorado Healthcare Affordability and Sustainability Enterprise (CHASE) Board. The Rural Support Fund proposal will be included in the HTP submission and subject to CMS review and approval.
 

Community Advisory Council 
Facilitated by staff from Keystone Policy Center, the first Community Advisory Council, previously known as the Consumer Advisory Council, meeting took place on September 27 in Denver. Notes from the meeting, as well as a list of council members, can be found on the Community Advisory Council website . Questions about the council should be directed to the Community Advisory Council email box.
Prometheus update
On Monday, October 21, a new Prometheus dashboard with 2017-2018 data will be available to hospitals. We encourage all hospitals to attend Prometheus office hours on Friday, October 18 from 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. MT to learn more about this update. Additional information will be sent via email with details about the new dashboard.

Recent and upcoming community engagement activities
  • October 24- Colorado Rural Health Conference, Stapleton.
  • October 29- Community Care Alliance, Denver.
  • October 29- Centura Hospital Group, Centennial.
  • October 31- Yuma Hospital, Yuma.
To have your meeting included in our list, please contact Courtney Ronner, Hospital Relations & Communication Manager.
What's next?
Prometheus office hours
The next Prometheus office hours for hospitals will take place on Friday, October 18 from 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. MT. An invite with the call-in number will be sent to everyone who received a dashboard.
CHASE Board meeting
The next Colorado Healthcare Affordability and Sustainability Enterprise (CHASE) Board meeting will take place on Tuesday, October 22 at 3 p.m. at 303 E 17th Ave, Conference Room 11ABC, Denver, CO 80203. Those unable to attend in person are invited to access the meeting via webinar.
HTP Newsletter archive
Did you miss a HTP Newsletter? No problem!  An archive of past HTP Newsletters  is available on the HTP website.  We encourage you to share this link with your staff and community partners.
Nondiscrimination Policy
The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing complies with applicable federal and state civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic or national origin, ancestry, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, religion, creed, political beliefs, or disability. Learn more about our Nondiscrimination Policy.

ATENCIÓN: si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1-800-221-3943 (State Relay: 711).
 
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