Latest news with #DenverHealth
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Colorado Democrats fear deep health care consequences in federal spending bill
A view of the Colorado Capitol in Denver on June 6, 2023. (Quentin Young/Colorado Newsline) Colorado Democrats and health care providers are warning of dire consequences for patients who rely on Medicaid for insurance coverage if the federal spending bill becomes law. The bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives by one vote last week and now sits in the U.S. Senate, where it could be largely rewritten. It could take most of the summer to shepherd a final version of the bill to President Donald Trump's desk. Colorado's four Republican House members voted for the bill and the four Democrats in the delegation voted against it. The bill enacts much of Trump's domestic policy agenda, including an extension of the 2017 tax cuts, and Republicans argue it targets waste and fraud in government spending. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Some of the House-approved bill's most sweeping provisions are changes to Medicaid, the nation's health care program for low-income people that covers roughly 1 in 5 Americans. The changes include new work requirements for most people, more frequent eligibility checks and elimination of federal matching funds for some types of care, including gender-affirming care. Those modifications would amount to about $700 billion in cuts over the next decade, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. It would also mean fewer people enrolled and more cost-sharing for states, which are in charge of administering Medicaid programs. Democrats wrote in a letter to the state's congressional delegation this week that Colorado's hospitals, clinics and other providers could lose up to $990 million in annual federal Medicaid funding. 'The intent is to have people dis-enroll to save money in the short run. Make no mistake about it,' Dr. Steve Federico, the chief of government and community affairs at Denver Health, said during a virtual press conference on Thursday with legislative leaders and health care providers. 'Ultimately, all health systems will see more patients who cannot afford to pay, thus seeing uncompensated care, which hurts all of us. These costs will stress health systems' ability to care for patients, to provide needed appointments or to buy necessary medications or supplies. Hospitals and communities across Colorado will be at risk of decreasing services, decreasing access, or closing their doors all together.' When hospitals provide uncompensated care, some of the costs ultimately get shifted to people with private insurance through higher premiums. Ultimately, all health systems will see more patients who cannot afford to pay, thus seeing uncompensated care, which hurts all of us. – Dr. Steve Federico, chief of government and community affairs at Denver Health Sen. Jeff Bridges, a Greenwood Village Democrat who chairs the Legislature's Joint Budget Committee, said an increase in administrative work could cost the state about $57 million and require thousands of new case managers. Lawmakers passed an ultra-tight budget this year that already required about $1 billion in cost-saving measures to absorb the cost of the state's Medicaid program. '(Republicans in Congress) talk about waste in government. This is $57 million that will be spent on admin and not health care. And this isn't a huge problem — we're not seeing $57 million worth of health care provided to people who don't qualify,' he said. Democratic lawmakers said the proposed Medicaid cuts could result in 11% to 18% of participants losing coverage. That could include Veronica Montoya, a Denver resident who began relying on Medicaid after her chronic illnesses made it difficult to work. Her coverage has made it possible to get appropriate and effective care, she said. 'I'll be on this medicine for the rest of my life, God willing, because it has helped. But if I lose this medicine, I don't see a very good future,' she said. 'I think about what these proposed cuts would do to me and I wonder how a silencer is more important than something that keeps me able to still function and have a life.' The bill includes the elimination of a customer tax on firearm silencers. The Colorado Legislature, which completed its regular 2025 session earlier this month, might need to reconvene for a special session if deep Medicaid cuts go through in order to find a solution that keeps the program functioning. House Speaker Julie McCluskie, a Dillon Democrat, said Thursday no decisions on a special session had been made yet. 'Obviously there's a great deal of uncertainty at the moment. Whether or not a special session is in our future will depend on the impacts that ultimately are felt by the passage of the budget this year at the federal level,' she said. 'So no decisions or determinations have been made on what our response will be — whether that is something that comes in a special session or next legislative session.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
CBS News
5 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Sen. Michael Bennet returns to Colorado, listens to patients describe Medicaid impact amid possible cuts
Sen. Michael Bennet returned to Colorado this week and listened to patients describe the impact Medicaid has made on them and their families. The Democrat representing Colorado listened to their stories as the federal program faces potential funding cuts. Bennet appeared on the panel with Denver Health CEO Donna Lynne as part of a national conversation about how Medicaid coverage may change in the future. Sen. Michael Bennet sits on a panel listening to Medicaid patients. CBS Bennet listened to patients and doctors describe their experiences with using Medicaid and also how frustrating it can be for older patients to navigate the system. "The doctors at the hospital, they were so helpful, and they told me what I needed to do and they helped me get enrolled in Medicaid. And it was a Godsend because I wouldn't even be here today if I didn't have Medicaid," said one woman who was a patient at Denver Health. One provision in the bill on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, would require some eligible Medicaid patients to return to work if they are capable. Rep. Gabe Evans, a Republican representing Colorado's 8th Congressional District, is on the Energy and Commerce Committee and voted for the bill that he claims will protect Medicaid for those who need it by purging those who aren't eligible. Lynne said Denver Health sees 125,000 patients a year who are on Medicaid. A total of 10% of the patients on Medicaid in Colorado go to Denver Health for treatment and two-thirds of the funding comes from the federal government.
CBS News
6 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Changes to COVID vaccine immunization schedule met with some concern from some in the Colorado medical community
Word came out Tuesday from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that the HHS will no longer recommend that healthy children and healthy pregnant women get the COVID-19 vaccine. It means removing it from the recommended immunization schedule. The recommendation effectively cut in front of the agency's outside advisors who make up the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. They typically make recommendations first. Kennedy and the heads of the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health called it good science. But among experts the move was met with some concern. "I think there's some really concerning dimensions to that," said Denver Health Pulmonary and Critical Care physician Dr. Anuj Mehta. "For kids and for pregnant women it's important to think about conversations with your health care provider about what's safe, what's effective and more importantly what's going to prevent potential long term consequences. I think COVID vaccines repeatedly have shown to be an incredibly safe option for adults, kids and pregnant women." He pointed out that his own children get boosters and that if his wife were pregnant, they would talk about updating a vaccination for her. "That's the thing that's going to put the baby at greater risk is getting a severe COVID infection, more so than the vaccines at any time." The FDA has recently said that pregnancy is an underlying condition that warrants continued eligibility for COVID vaccine approvals. Research published in the National Library of Medicine authored by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as well the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and other experts from around the world looked at reports of problems after more than a million vaccinations and indicated no safety concerns for mRNA-based vaccines. In the practice of pediatrician Dr. Michael Milobsky, he has set a policy that parents cannot opt children out of several primary vaccines. He has a great population of children in his practice with severe medical issues. Many came through NICU as babies and have very serious medical issues that they deal with. So other children are required to have pertussis, whooping cough, polio and MMR as well as the varicella (chicken pox) vaccines. But not COVID. During last flu season, the problem was not COVID-19. "I can't name one kid off the top of my head that I remember that I actually had go to the ER or to the hospital due to a COVID infection compared to the dozens and dozens every week almost the height of it that had to go because of RSV or flu," said Milobsky. So for healthy children, vaccinating against COVID is not a requirement to remain with the practice as a patient. His recommendations on vaccination are different for children in the practice who have medical conditions that put them at greater risk from COVID. "When I'm talking about a child who is at risk because of prematurity or chronic lung disease or obesity or metabolic disorders or diabetes or neurologic disorders or cardiac disorders, I aggressively advise them to get the COVID vaccine." For Milobsky, it is about finding balance in the need for the vaccination. "There's a truth in the middle that is the actual truth and people on the extreme are, well there's no need for it, or everybody needs it. Both of those things are not technically correct."
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Psilocybin use rising among adults with mental health conditions: Denver Health study
DENVER (KDVR) — 'Magic mushrooms' are now legal in Colorado, and a recent study led by Denver Health researchers shows that more Americans are trying psilocybin mushrooms. The study was conducted by the Denver Health Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Safety division and co-authors from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration using five national datasets from 2014-2023 to look at psilocybin use in the U.S. Psychedelic therapy begins in Colorado, causing tension between conservatives and veterans The study found that the number of adult Americans who have tried psilocybin increased from 10%, or about 25 million Americans in 2019, to 12.1%, or about 31.3 million adults in 2023. The study said this is second only to marijuana use and is higher than opioid or methamphetamine use. The study found that people with moderate to severe depression, anxiety or chronic pain were 'significantly' more likely to report use of the substance. 'Psilocybin has entered the mainstream, and we're seeing sharp increases in use among adolescents and adults navigating mental health and chronic pain challenges,' said Karilynn M. Rockhill, PhD, co-lead author of the study and assistant scientist at Rocky Mountain Poison & Drug Safety, in a Denver Health release. 'These results underscore a turning point in public health awareness and the need to respond with informed, compassionate and data-driven strategies.' Additionally, researchers found that 12th graders in the U.S. saw a 53% increase in past-year psilocybin use in 2023 compared to 2019. Past-year use increased in young adults by 44% and by 188% in adults over 30 years old, Denver Health reported, and between 2019 and 2023, psilocybin-related poison center exposure calls rose by 201% in adults, 317% in adolescents and 723% in children under 12 years old. The research team noted that between 2015 and 2021, only three psilocybin poisonings were documented nationally in emergency departments and outpatient facilities, which Denver Health said highlights a 'critical gap in public health surveillance.' 'This mismatch in data tells us, that until now, we've lacked visibility into the real-world health impacts of psilocybin use,' said Joshua C. Black, PhD, co-lead author and senior scientist at Rocky Mountain Poison & Drug Safety at Denver Health, in a release. 'Without accurate coding and comprehensive surveillance systems, health systems and policymakers are missing key information needed to support and inform the public.' The study calls for more investments in better systems to track psilocybin use and health outcomes, and for better coding practices, evidence-based education on dosing and risks, and targeted interventions for individuals with co-occurring mental health or chronic pain conditions. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
18-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Repeal of Denver's controversial flavored tobacco product ban will go to voters
Colorado voters will now get a say over the controversial ban on flavored tobacco products in Denver. Enough signatures have been collected to put the issue on the ballot and overturn the ban approved by the city council. A group of Denver businesses collected over 17,000 signatures for this initiative by the March 18 deadline. That's also the day the ban took effect. More than 10,000 signatures have since been verified, which is enough to get it on the ballot in the upcoming election in November. Zachary Shadi-Kingsley runs multiple family-owned convenience stores in Denver and has been front and center in the fight against the flavored tobacco ban. He's even led the charge to collect signatures to repeal it. "This was the fastest collection of those signatures of any ordinance in Denver history," said Shadi-Kingsley. "So, we collected 17,000 signatures in less than two months." In addition to gathering signatures, the group raised over $200,000 to get them verified. "That was actually the hardest part was raising enough money from small businesses like ours that are, you know, going to be hit by this the hardest." Nearly half of Shadi-Kingsley's sales come from tobacco products and a large percentage are flavored. That includes vapes, menthol cigarettes and popular Zyn pouches. The convenience store also sits near the Denver border, just a few blocks away from another store who can sell the products, which would not only take business away from him, but supports one of his arguments. "We told city council, 'Hey guys, a ban in Denver will not affect Denver the way you want to affect Denver. You're still going to have the same issues at Denver Health, because the people are still able to get the product. They just are still going to be going to Denver Health and using their facilities. They're still going to be in Denver, just your revenue, and all the sales are going to be moving outside of Denver.'" In a statement to CBS Colorado, the bill's sponsor, Councilman Darrell Watson, urged voters to side with City Council. The statement read in part, "Repealing Denver's flavored tobacco ban means more kids will get addicted, more people will get sick, and more people will die. We cannot let vape shops continue to put profit over public health." According to Zachary, the ban won't be enforced prior to the November election, but in the meantime, he's bracing for the worst. "We've been around for 30 years, and this may put some of us out of business."
