§ 29-28-101. Legislative Declaration

1. The general assembly finds and declares that:
   1. Medicaid reimbursement rates cover only approximately sixty-five percent of the actual costs incurred by service providers rendering services to medicaid recipients;
   2. Low medicaid reimbursement rates and increased caseloads have caused the costs to shift within the health-care delivery system, resulting in higher medical costs for the general population;
   3. The medicaid caseload continues to expand and, therefore, the need for providers to serve these medicaid recipients continues to increase;
   4. Rising health-care costs are a primary concern for Colorado citizens and businesses;
   5. It is therefore in the best interest of the state of Colorado to authorize local governments to impose a fee on certain medical providers to assist in financing medicaid costs and the disproportionate share hospital payments for providing medical services to low-income populations.

Source: L. 2006: Entire article added, p. 885, § 1, effective May 5. L. 2008: (1)(e) amended, p. 928, § 2, effective May 20.