At first glance, Colorado’s picturesque landscapes suggest a healthy population flourishes here. From the famous 14ers and breathtaking canyons to the still lakes and flowing rivers to the high desert terrain and expansive plains, the state’s environment is a natural playground.
But for many Coloradans, it’s not the utopia it appears to be. A less visible but equally significant landscape of health disparities clouds its beauty.
Colorado’s Canyons of Disparities
Colorado, like many other states, grapples with inequities that disproportionately affect many in our communities and lead to disparities in health outcomes. These disparities adversely affect populations that have systematically experienced obstacles to health based on factors such as racial or ethnic group, socioeconomic status, age, disability status, gender, language, immigration status, education, geography, and sexual orientation or gender identity. These factors, collectively known as social determinants of health (SDOH), significantly impact health and outcomes.
For example, research indicates chronic conditions like diabetes and obesity are more prevalent in Black, Hispanic, and American Indian and Alaska Native communities than in white populations. Black women experience the highest maternal mortality rate across racial and ethnic groups. Black and Hispanic adults and children are more likely to experience food insecurity than white adults and children. Americans living in rural areas are more likely to die from heart disease, cancer, unintentional injury, chronic lower respiratory disease, and stroke than urban residents.
These examples paint only a small picture of the disparities underserved communities face — and these disparities are preventable. We must remove barriers and ensure everyone has equitable access to culturally appropriate care and resources to advance health equity, which Healthy People 2030 defines as “the attainment of the highest level of health for all people.”
A Catalyst for Health Care Transformation
In 2020, Executive Order D 2020 175 directed Colorado state agencies to operationalize equity in systems, policies, and practices.
The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) administers Health First Colorado (Colorado’s Medicaid program) and the Child Health Plan Plus program, collectively providing health coverage for more than 1.3 million Coloradans. HCPF is a cornerstone in the state’s efforts to advance health equity. In collaboration with the Governor’s Office and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, HCPF helped pass Senate Bill 21-181 in July 2021, which created a shared health equity strategic plan across state agencies and provided funding for its implementation. HCPF also drafted a 2022-2023 health equity plan that outlines four areas of focus across its programs — COVID-19, maternity care, behavioral health, and prevention — and concrete actions to address the existing disparities. That includes establishing health equity plans for all Accountable Care Collaborative partner Regional Accountable Entity (RAE)/Managed Care Entity (MCE) contracts.
Collaborating for Our Communities
At Rocky Mountain Health Plans, promoting health equity is both a passion and a priority. We believe every person deserves to be valued equally and attain their highest level of health, regardless of age, race, ability, or how they identify. As one of the RAEs that partners with HCPF, we serve members across 22 counties and are proud to support and develop equity-driven initiatives.
To achieve health equity, we must intentionally focus on understanding the barriers and biases that lead to disparities. We work daily to bridge these gaps by forging partnerships with county and state leaders, working with providers and organizations in our local communities, and elevating our members’ voices to identify and deliver the resources they need and deserve.
Together, the impact we’re making is undeniable. Examples include:
- Partnerships with community organizations like the Western Slope Native American Resource Center, the Northwest Colorado Center for Independence, Identity Insights Counseling, and Building Hope are connecting historically underserved communities to equitable care and support.
- Our financial investments support community-based projects and programs, continued community care, and transformative value-based payments to increase funding for providers. That includes $1.6 million in enhanced behavioral health reimbursement for bilingual and safe-space providers, providers who serve a high proportion of members who are people of color or have identified SDOH needs, and providers who are in rural, frontier, and underserved communities.
- We’ve prioritized equity through Ambassadors for Belonging, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (ABIDE), whose members bring diverse voices together to build an intentionally inclusive culture among employees, members, and the extended community.
Despite these testimonies of progress, we know the work has just begun. We will continue collaborating with partners to develop innovative solutions that bring us closer to health equity, build healthier and more resilient communities, and empower all Coloradans to truly flourish — because we’re all in for ALL of Colorado.
Our core values of health equity, whole-person health, supporting counties, innovation, and rural expertise drive our every action. Learn how we’re supporting our partners, colleagues, and neighbors by honoring and advancing these values.