Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter (D) on Tuesday signed into law 11 health care bills, including measures to expand coverage requirements and increase children's access to care, the AP/Denver Post reports.
One of the measures (SB 160) Ritter signed will expand eligibility for Child Health Plan Plus, the state's version of SCHIP, to include children in families with incomes up to 225% of the federal poverty level. The bill also will expand mental health benefits for children enrolled in the program. A companion bill (SB 161) also signed into law will remove administrative barriers to applying for Medicaid and Child's Health Plan Plus (AP/Denver Post, 6/3). According to the Denver Rocky Mountain News, the legislation will qualify an additional 50,000 uninsured children for the programs (Torkelson, Denver Rocky Mountain News, 6/3).
The other health care bills signed into law were: