SIM Ends, But the Work Continues

June 17, 2019
The Colorado State Innovation Model (SIM) ends July 31 after four years of implementing an ambitious model to reform health care with the knowledge that groundwork has been laid for future success. SIM was intended to catalyze innovation across four pillars to expand patient access to integrated behavioral and physical health care and prepare providers for success with alternative payment models. It was an ambitious approach to SIM funding, and data shows that it is working as illustrated in stories below, through data published on the SIM website and in final evaluation reports, which will be available on the website in August along with the final SIM report to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. The SIM website will be available as an archive for at least one year, and stakeholders are encouraged to use resources as frequently as possible. The SIM office will continue working with the Governor’s Office of Saving People Money on Health Care, which recognizes integrated care as a key component to improving outcomes and reducing or avoiding unnecessary costs as noted below by Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera. Connections made by the SIM office paved the way for a more collaborative approach to health reform and we thank you for your support and participation in this work. You have been a lynchpin to SIM’s successes, and we hope that these newsletters have provided you with a bird’s eye view of how SIM funding has led to the creation of resources for providers from payment reform to certification for integrated settings, increased access to whole-person care for more than half a million people and the list goes on. We’d like to take this opportunity in this, our last SIM stakeholder newsletter, to thank you for your help, support and guidance. Please continue to champion this work and raise awareness of the value and need for integrated care in primary care settings. We see this as a new beginning and trust you to carry the torch! 
Deadline today: Participate in Primary Care Payment Reform Collaborative
Apply before the end of the day today (June 14) to participate on the Primary Care Payment Reform Collaborative led by the Colorado Division of Insurance (DOI). The collaborative, established by House Bill 19-1233, will develop strategies for increased investments in primary care to deliver the right care in the right place at the right time, and to help develop affordability standards. DOI encourages representatives from these groups to apply:
  • Health care providers, including primary care providers
  • Health care consumers
  • Employers that purchase health insurance for employees and employers that offer self-insured health benefit plans
  • Health insurers, including those that contract with HCPF as managed care entities
  • Experts in health insurance actuarial analysis
Data show that racial/ethnic minorities, immigrants, LGBTQ individuals and other marginalized communities often experience barriers in access to primary care in Colorado, which is one of the reasons DOI encourages members of these groups to participate. Read more online.