Letter from State Legislators
to the members of
the Colorado Medical Services Board
Calling for  a re-examination of rules
and to allow interested parties to come together and develop alternate solutions to the critical financial problems facing our state at this time.

Dated July 11, 2002 and delivered to the Board with 45 legislative signatures on Friday, July 12, 2002.

TO: Colorado Medical Services Board Members

We, the undersigned members of the Colorado General Assembly, respectfully request you to re-examine the emergency rules that were passed on June 14^th calling for cuts in reimbursement and caps on utilization for Medicaid home health care services. We are concerned these cuts may:

• result in cost shifting to other budget line items and placement of clients in more costly alternatives;
• worsen the already serious labor shortage of home health providers, especially skilled nurses and home health aides;
• reduce access to home care services, especially in rural areas where access is already limited;
• force the early insolvency or de-certification of specialized home care agencies, thus further limiting access to our state’s disabled community;
• put our most frail and elderly citizens in greater jeopardy of losing access to their right to remain in their home to receive their medical care;
• force severely disabled children to remain hospitalized rather than going home to their families;
• cause citizens to leave the work force and enter the unemployment rolls in order to provide care for their family members, whereas minimal home care services might allow their continued employment;
• overturn previous attempts by this legislative body to bring equity to home health care reimbursement rates, and
• take Colorado in an opposite direction from a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling and the federal government’s call for more community based care, not less.

We appreciate your consideration and willingness to re-examine these rules and allow interested parties an opportunity to come together and develop alternative solutions to the critical financial challenges facing our state at this time.

/s/ signed by 45 legislators and delivered to the Board hearing

[Return Home]