Culture of Data 2025

The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (the Department) has been exploring opportunities to expand services that address health-related social needs (HRSN) with the greatest impact on health including, but not limited to, housing and nutrition. Legislation directed the Department to conduct a study to determine the feasibility of expanding housing and nutrition services. Some factors that House Bill 24-1322 explored were possible target populations, provider types, settings in which these services can be provided, cost of service provision, and federal and state funding mechanisms. Department researchers supporting this study conducted literature reviews, facilitated interviews with other states, and reviewed other states’ HRSN efforts in their 1115 waivers.

The research in this study laid the groundwork for Colorado’s innovative efforts to find sustainable funding for health-related social need services. Attendees will have a better understanding of the foundational background work that led to the approval of Colorado’s expanded 1115 waiver and the Department’s current efforts in addressing HRSN. As Colorado joins the growing number of states that have received federal approval to address health-related social needs, it is a top priority for the Department to ensure equitable access to these services. The landscape of Medicaid providers will likely also shift as the Department looks to expand HRSN services, providing opportunities for those in the public health field to engage in ways they may not have been involved before