Hospitals say House Bill 1215, which would limit their ability to charge facility fees, will ultimately impact funding for Medicaid
Colorado Hospital Association
Posted inHealth
A rural Colorado hospital was down to its last dollar. This is how it came back.
As small-town hospitals across the state struggle, Memorial Regional Health’s financial rebound shows how it is possible — but also perhaps painful — to get back into the black
Posted inHealth
After years of profits, many Colorado hospitals are facing a downturn
Investment losses and higher staffing and supply costs are all contributing, but one expert cautions to look at the long-term picture
Posted inHealth, News
Colorado hospitals nearly led the nation for charges to the privately insured, report finds
Colorado hospitals in 2020 on average charged privately insured patients nearly three times what Medicare paid for the same services, according to a new report released this week. The report, from researchers at Rand Corp., a nonpartisan think tank, ranked Colorado 12th in the nation for the gap between Medicare and the privately insured. Nationwide, […]
Posted inCOVID, Health, News, Politics and Government
Everything you need to know about the major health care bills still alive at the Colorado Capitol
There are officially only two weeks left in the legislative session this year in Colorado, and state lawmakers are continuing to debate several major bills — including ones that could have a significant impact on the state’s health care system. In recent legislative sessions, Colorado lawmakers passed eye-popping, heavily contested proposals to create a historic […]
Posted inHealth, News, Politics and Government
Why Colorado’s ongoing fight against high hospital prices is now a lot more complicated
Colorado’s top health officials think the prices charged by large hospital systems in the state are too high. This is not exactly news; Kim Bimestefer, the executive director of the state’s Medicaid department, has been making this argument for years. But a new report and new comments made by Bimestefer during a virtual policy summit […]
Posted inCOVID, Health, News
Colorado hospital mortality rates spiked 35% when pandemic started, report finds
Colorado hospitals saw significant increases in their patient death rates during surges of COVID-19 cases, just one of the revealing findings contained within a new report produced by the state’s hospital association. The report, released last week by the Colorado Hospital Association, uses discharge and claims data to paint a broad picture of how the […]
Posted inCOVID, Health, News
Colorado struggles to keep hospital beds staffed as omicron sends COVID cases soaring
Colorado’s omicron variant-driven surge in coronavirus cases appears to be biting into one of the state’s most precious resources for battling the virus: the number of hospital beds available to treat patients. On Monday, the state reported that it had a total of 1,468 intensive care beds and 7,089 lower-level beds known as acute-care beds […]
Posted inCOVID, Health, News
Thanks in part to federal relief funds, most Colorado hospitals were profitable in 2020
A new report from a national expert on hospital finances shows that Colorado hospitals weathered the early months of the coronavirus pandemic profitably, despite seeing a steep decline in revenue related to patient care. Hospitals in the Denver metro area posted combined profits of nearly $1.4 billion in 2020, according to the report from Allan […]
Posted inCOVID, Health, News, Politics and Government
Colorado’s governor always said hospital capacity would dictate a new mask mandate. So why hasn’t he issued one?
In early August, as coronavirus infections and hospitalizations first began rising in Colorado following a summer lull, Gov. Jared Polis stood before reporters to answer questions about the worrying trend. Asked when he might consider reissuing a statewide mask mandate or other such aggressive virus-fighting actions, he was clear. “We will not overwhelm our hospitals,” […]