The Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (HCPA) issued a press release announcing it will receive just over $200 million in Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) grant funds for the first year of the 5-year program. HCPF is now focused on responding to the CMS Request for Applications (RFA) materials and will soon provide details on establishing the RHTP Committee’s structure, membership and meeting schedules. NACDS will continue to closely monitor the state’s RHTP website and provide details as they become available.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.

The Legislature will convene on January 14 and adjourn on or before May 13.

Also in Colorado, the Attorney General’s Office and the Colorado Opioid Abatement Council (COAC) announced up to $23 million in new statewide opioid abatement funding available through grant opportunities. Round 4 Infrastructure Funding Opportunity prioritizes capital or operational investments in rural, underserved or disproportionately impacted communities, and encourages collaborative or multi-organization proposals.

Also in Colorado, the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) and Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) are currently developing a Prospective Payment System (PPS) Guardrails Plan and seeking feedback from our partners. PPS is a flexible, advanced reimbursement model tying payment to daily encounters instead of to individual services. It is provider-specific and based on each provider’s unique cost structure, designed to cover a safety net provider’s actual cost of services. The Guardrails Plan will detail the structure of the PPS payment, financial and data reporting requirements and quality requirements. It will also explain the monitoring and oversight processes, and potential impacts of noncompliance. The first stakeholder session is scheduled for January 23 from 11:00 am to 12:00 noon. Please register in advance in Zoom. Contact hcpf_bhbenefits@state.co.us with any questions.

Finally in Colorado, the Board of Pharmacy voted unanimously to make permanent rules regarding pharmacists’ authority to provide immunizations. The emergency rule changes from September 5, 2025, delink pharmacists’ immunizations authority from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines, and grant authority for pharmacists to independently prescribe any vaccine under their own license/NPI (National Provider Identifier), and got rid of the need for a physician authorization protocol. These rules were sent to the Secretary of State to be published in the Colorado Register and take effect no later than January 14.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.

Facing a $850M budget deficit, Gov. Jaris Polis (D) proposed cuts to the Medicaid professional dispensing fee (PDF) for pharmacies. For fiscal year 2025-2026, the Health Care Financing and Policy (HCFP) will cut the tiered fee by $85,000 and propose a $506,000 reduction for 2026-2027. Reimbursements for high-volume pharmacies will drop from $10.25 to $9.93 and from $9.31 to $8.72. 

Also in Colorado, a Rural Health Transformation Program Webinar for all stakeholders will be held from 10:00 am – 11:30 am Mountain Time on December 2. 

For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.

The Department of Public Health Environment issued a Public Health Order and Standing Order today to address COVID-19 vaccine administration. These orders enable all vaccine providers to administer these vaccines in accordance with the Standing Order, eliminating the need for additional prescriptions. In addition to the Public Health Order and Standing Order, the Colorado State Board of Pharmacy will engage in emergency rulemaking on Friday, September 5, to adopt changes to Rule 3 and 19 to allow for continuity of vaccinations, especially COVID, thus ensuring that pharmacists, pharmacy interns, and pharmacy technicians may continue to prescribe, dispense and administer vaccinations in accordance with applicable Colorado Revised Statutes.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.

The Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB) is seeking comments on its proposal to cap payment for the drug Enbrel at the Medicare price. Enbrel is one of the first Medicare Part D 10 drugs to be included in the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program (MDPNP) beginning January 1, 2026. Rulemaking for Enbrel began in May, and the rulemaking hearings continued on upper payment limit (UPL) for Enbrel in July and August. The fourth and possibly final rulemaking hearing on UPL for Enbrel will be on October 3.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.

Gov. Jared Polis (D) issued an executive order announcing a special legislative session on August 21 to address a $1.2 billion budget shortfall caused by the passage of H.R. 1, the federal “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”. In addition to addressing fiscal issues, the Governor wants legislators to address health care, food insecurity and artificial intelligence issues.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.

The Department of Health Care Policy & Financing l(HCPF) is hosting its annual virtual Stakeholder Webinar on August 12 from 9:00 am to 11:00am MT. Leaders will discuss emerging federal threats to Medicaid, state budget challenges, Medicaid cost trend drivers and HCPF's priorities for fiscal year 2025-2026.  

For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.

The Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) is soliciting stakeholder input before August 30, regarding the draft Supervision Policy for Medicaid Billable Behavioral Health Services. Feedback can be provided either by attending a stakeholder meeting or providing written feedback using this Google Form.  

Also in Colorado, the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) Board of Pharmacy is hosting a pharmacy stakeholder meeting on proposed rules on July 31 at 9:00 am MDT. Oral comments will be taken from webinar participants. Written comments need to be submitted as soon as possible so that they can be included in this stakeholder meeting.  

For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.

Gov. Jared Polis (D) signed SB25-289, a law creating a new Drug Donation Program to facilitate the safe donation and dispensing of unused medicine to Coloradans in need. The program expands upon the drug donation provisions and the corresponding rules and regulations for the Board of Pharmacy; it establishes parameters for participation and sets directives for donation recipients on the requirements for record retention in the program; outlines how to distribute donated medicine; and identifies what types of medicine can be distributed through the donation program.  

Also in Colorado, the Health Care Policy & Financing (HCPF) annual Pharmacy Stakeholder Webinar is on August 12 from 9:00 am-11:00 am MT. Discussion will focus on emerging federal threats to Medicaid, state budget challenges, Medicaid cost trend drivers and priorities for fiscal year 2025-2026. Participants are encouraged to register for the webinar in advance.  

Finally in Colorado, SB25-308 creates a cash fund for state dollars designated to 1115 waiver programs such as health related social needs and re-entry services for those leaving prison or jail after incarceration.  

For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.