What's New

New BHA Provide Rules Take Effect Jan. 1, 2024 

Proposed provider rules related to the Behavioral Health Entity license, Safety Net approval, and 27-65 designation were adopted by the State Board of Human Services during the board's Nov. 3 hearing. The adopted rules will take effect on Jan. 1, 2024. 

View the new provider rules 

Do you have questions about reimbursement for Peer Services? 

Sign up for our Peer Services Office hours held monthly on the 4th Thursday of the month from 12 to 1p.m. Next meeting: Jan. 25, 2024.  

Register

Take Note

As an SUD provider, did you know you have multiple options for engaging with HCPF? 

Sign up for the 2024 Quarterly SUD Provider Forums

The Quarterly SUD Provider Forum is open to providers and other stakeholders to learn about policies, changes and expectations of service delivery and billing in the SUD continuum of care. This is a presentation-style meeting held quarterly on the first Wednesday of the month from 2 to 3 p.m. The next SUD Provider Forum is Wednesday, Jan. 3. Please register.

Sign up for SUD Office Hours  

Do you have a question regarding the SUD Benefit? Drop into our monthly SUD Office Hours on the first Monday of the month (when there is no Provider Forum).  

There is no structured presentation during Office Hours, so please only register if you have a question. Name of organization and question are required on the registration form.  

The next SUD Office Hours is Wednesday, Feb. 7. Please register. 

Health First Colorado Managed Care Provider Complaint Form 

HCPF wants to support collaborative relationships between providers and MCEs. If you’re having a challenge, please let us know by filling out the form. 

Debunking Myths & Misinformation About Health First Colorado

Did you know…Standards for When BHEs Cannot Deny Care 

As a licensed provider, did you know the following BHA rules apply to you? (effective Jan. 1, 2024) This means that members cannot be denied services by licensed providers with endorsements for level of care services if any of the following apply. 

2.10.A.2: The following must not be the sole reason for treatment ineligibility:  

1. Relapse;  
2. Leaving previous treatment against advice or lack of engagement in previous treatment; 
3. Pregnancy;  
4. Drug use;  
5. Involuntary commitment;  
6. Current utilization of any medication-assisted treatment (MAT) or interest in beginning MAT services;  
7. Previous or pending disputes, grievances, or appeals; or 
8. Place of residence.

Other Things Happening in the SUD Space

Recovering from Benzodiazepine Use for Peer Specialists - Colorado Training 

2-Day Virtual Training: Jan. 23 and 30 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. MT 

Hosted by the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention, this 12-hour training course is designed to educate peers, counselors, caregivers and providers on specialized information regarding benzodiazepine use, its associated complications such as withdrawal and benzodiazepine-induced neurological dysfunction (BIND) (protracted withdrawal), and how to support the individual as they taper, heal, and find wellness. For more information about the training and to register, please visit the Colorado Consortium webpage. 

Multiple Sources Track "Fourth Wave" of the Overdose Crisis Created by Polysubstance Overdoses  

The Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment (CDPHE) presented overdose data at the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention’s Annual Meeting in October. The data shows “how much things have evolved as the increase in polysubstance overdoses has created a ‘fourth wave’ of the crisis.” 

A recording of the presentation is on the Consortium's website, as are the presentation slides. 

Other sources on this topic include an article published in the December edition of the journal Addiction which includes data from Colorado, a New York Times article that takes a journalistic look at polysubstance use, and an article published by the Guardian earlier this month looking at overdose trends.