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Joint Budget Committee

Thursday, April 2, 2026·1h 50m·▶ Watch / Listen

The Joint Budget Committee advanced two Medicaid-related bills unanimously, but not before a contentious debate over LLS 0978, which would authorize statistical sampling and extrapolation audits targeting pediatric behavioral health therapy and non-emergency medical transportation providers — with Sen. Kirkmeyer voicing zero confidence in the department and opposing the ABA audit entirely, while Sen. Bridges and Rep. Brown argued bad actors were costing the state millions.

Key Actions

·LLS 0825 – Changes to Cover All Coloradans ProgramPassed

+ 1 more action

Controversies

Whether the bill expands beyond its original purpose by addressing the OIG/CMS audit findings

Rep. Rick Taggart argued the bill was 'expanding into rejecting the federal audit' which he found 'somewhat problematic,' and that the department was using the committee to solve a problem the department had a responsibility to solve itself. Another speaker responded that addressing the audit findings was 'exactly the purpose of the bill' because it demonstrated significant problems and significant overpayment in this area of reimbursement.

+ 1 more controversy

Notable Quotes

“RAC audit and the audit that we had to do on our own State Department and how bad it came back with those 18 recommendations. And then it took us almost the whole session last year to get our bill in place when they tried to hijack it and say that no, the Legislative Audit Committee was going to do it. So my confidence in this department is at zero at best. And for them to come in and say four years when they know last year we”

Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer — Kirkmeyer was opposing the department's proposed four-year look-back period for the extrapolation audit, arguing it contradicted the three-year limit the committee had established the prior year to align with federal RAC audit regulations.

+ 4 more quotes

Votes

Motion to introduce LLS 0825 – Changes to Cover All Coloradans ProgramPassed
Motion to introduce LLS 0978 – HCPF Statistical Sampling and Extrapolation as discussed and amendedPassed
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TranscriptPreview
The Joint Budget Committee will come to order. We have a couple more bills to consider and Mr. Kurtz, you are here for both of them. Which does the committee prefer to start with? Sure. All right, so the second bill draft in your binder, LLS number 825, changes to coverall. This is a new draft. Anything to point our attention to. I. I'm not sure if any committee members had anything they wanted to make note of. Okay. All right. Everyone had a chance to look at. Vice Chair Bridges. Thank you, Madam Chair. I move to introduce LLS 0825 changes to cover all Coloradans program. Are there any objections? That passes on a vote of 6 to 0. This bill will start in the House and run with the long bill. House sponsors will be Brown and Taggart and in the Senate, Amable and Kirkmeyer. Sirota and Bridges will co sponsor. And I know you give permission, blanket permission for technical changes. Since I'm aware of a technical change, I'll just point it out in the appropriations clause. You've got a bill going through that's going to do away with the adult dental fund and replace it with…
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