Colorado Awards Contract for Mental Health Care to Colorado Health Networks
Colorado Springs, Colorado — March 7, 2005
Colorado Health Networks (CHN) announced today that through a competitive re-bid process, it has been awarded the Colorado Medicaid Community Mental Health Services Program contract for Southern/Western Colorado from the State of Colorado's Department of Health Care Policy and Financing.
Colorado Health Networks, a joint entity between ValueOptions and eight community mental health centers, has been selected to continue serving Medicaid members in the Western/Southern Geographic Service Area, which covers 43 of Colorado's 64 counties and touches more than 140,000 Medicaid lives. Colorado Health Networks has been serving Colorado since 1995.
"ValueOptions and the CHN partnership have received numerous awards for their outstanding performance in serving Colorado's Medicaid members," said Arnold Salazar, executive director of Colorado Health Networks. "Their commitment to quality and service improvements has increased access to care and decreased cost to taxpayers."
Under the new contract, effective January 1, 2005 Colorado Health Networks will continue to provide ongoing mental health services to the State's Medicaid population as well as prevention, education and outreach initiatives.
"We look forward to continued collaboration with the State of Colorado," said Steve Holsenbeck, medical director for Colorado Health Networks. "We are deeply committed to the rural and urban populations that we serve in Colorado, and we strive to provide culturally sensitive services that enrich the lives of each member. We are especially pleased to be re-integrating the Pike's Peak region into our contract area."
About Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing
As the state agency responsible for the administration of the Medicaid program, Child Health Plan Plus, and the Colorado Indigent Care program, the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing faces many challenges. In a time of fiscal constraints and increasing health care access problems, the Department is finding more efficient and effective ways to provide health care for low-income Coloradoans. For more information, please visit www.chcpf.state.co.us.
About Colorado Health Networks
Colorado Health Networks is composed of partnerships between ValueOptions and eight community mental health centers. The Medicaid contract between CHN and the State of Colorado has achieved notable success since its inception in 1995. Through this contract, the partnership will manage and provide mental health services to over 140,000 culturally and linguistically diverse people in 43 of the state's 64 counties.