|

The 2025 Legislative Session Wrap Up

ByEmily Bishop

Advocacy Insiders saw it first! Sign up for bite-sized updates throughout the Colorado Session here!

In a year marked by a $1B state budget shortfall and shifting federal healthcare policy, your advocacy made a real impact. With 39 days of coverage through our Doctor of the Day program, dozens of member testimonies, and powerful coalition work, CAFP advanced policy that strengthens family medicine, protects patients, and defends Colorado’s healthcare safety net.

Here’s what we accomplished together:

Legislative Victories for Family Medicine

Championing Physician Well-being & Career Mobility

  • HB25-1176 (Passed) – This CAFP-priority legislation removes stigmatizing mental health questions from medical licensure applications.
  • SB25-083 (Passed) – This CAFP-championed legislation ends non-compete clauses for physicians, expanding practice freedom across Colorado.
  • SB25-032 (Defeated) – Stopped the expansion of naturopathic prescribing without equivalent training.
  • SB25-301 (Passed) – Allows dose/frequency adjustments for chronic meds without prior auth, easing administrative burden.

Safeguarding the Healthcare Safety Net

  • SB25-290 (Passed) – Creates a $90M Provider Stabilization Fund for clinics serving low-income and uninsured patients.
  • SB25-193 (Passed) – Extends the Primary Care Payment Reform Collaborative through 2032.
  • SB25-045 (Passed) – Launches a study on a universal, publicly financed health system.
  • SB25-229 (Passed) – Authorizes Medicaid reimbursement for community health workers.
  • HB25-1288 (Passed) – Supports FQHCs with new funding tools and service flexibility.

Preserving Coverage and Cost

  • SB25-196 (Passed) – Maintains coverage for preventive services even if federal mandates change.
  • HB25-1068 (Defeated) – Would have allowed medical malpractice insurers to penalize providers offering gender affirming Pareto minors and prohibited them from receiving state funds.
  • HB25-1309 (Passed) – Strengthens access to gender-affirming care and protects patient privacy.

Budget Highlights

Even though we entered the 2025 legislative session facing a nearly $1 billion budget shortfall, CAFP—alongside our members, coalition partners, staff, and lobbying team—successfully protected key elements of Colorado’s health care safety net. The state budget includes a 1.6% increase to Medicaid reimbursement rates. We were pleased to see the same funding preserved for the Commission on Family Medicine, maintaining $9.5 million to support family medicine residency programs.

Although the Primary Care Fund was reduced from $49.08 million to $34.08 million, several legislative wins this session (outlined above) helped fill the gap. Additionally, despite early threats to eliminate the All Payer Claims Database (APCD), funding for the program held relatively steady. The FY25-26 budget includes up to $8.42 million in ongoing funding, plus $1.19 million in one-time support. This allocation reflects a $1.1 million cut. These changes highlight the challenges of sustaining vital health data infrastructure that informs analyses of healthcare cost trends and CAFP projects such as primary care investment tracking.

In one of the most challenging budget years in recent memory, these victories reflect the strength and effectiveness of our advocacy in protecting patients, providers, and public health.

Regulatory Engagement and Local Work

In addition to our legislative efforts, CAFP submitted formal comments on several key state regulations this year, ensuring that the voices of family physicians were represented in rulemaking processes that impact practice, payment, and patient care.

  • Regulation 4-2-72 – Primary Care Investment & APMs: CAFP supported this rule to improve affordability through increased investment in primary care and alternative payment models. We will continue to monitor this regulation’s rollout to ensure it benefits family physicians across Colorado.
  • Regulations 4-2-XX (Draft) & 4-2-49 – Prior Authorization Standardization: CAFP supported efforts to streamline prior authorization reporting and appeals processes in alignment with the CAFP-led HB24-1149 to reduce the volume of prior authorizations.
  • Draft Rule 1.33 – Continuing Medical Education (CME) Requirements:  CAFP supported the proposed rule defining CME requirements. Following CAFP efforts last year to prevent burdensome topical CME requirements, the draft rule does not require specified CME topics for licensure.
  • Proposed Amendments to Medical Board Rule 1.15 – Physician Assistant Supervision: CAFP joined a coalition urging revisions to proposed changes in the rule to better align with the legislative intent of SB23-083. The letter called for clear, consistent supervision requirements for PAs in trauma centers, early-career roles, and new practice areas—emphasizing patient safety and regulatory clarity.

Locally, CAFP endorsed the “Denver Kids vs. Big Tobacco: Vote YES” campaign, a ballot initiative to uphold Denver’s ban on the sale of flavored tobacco products—including menthol cigarettes and flavored vapes. We remain committed to protecting public health and ensuring Colorado kids are safeguarded from the harms of tobacco addiction.

Looking Ahead: Standing Our Ground on Medicaid Threats

While the 2025 legislative session brought significant wins for family medicine at the state level, our attention is also firmly focused on growing threats from the federal government. As harmful Medicaid proposals gain traction in Congress—including mandatory work requirements, increased patient cost-sharing, and restrictive eligibility policies—CAFP led a letter joined by the Colorado House of Medicine urging Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper to oppose these measures.

The letter, sent on May 22, emphasized the devastating impact such changes would have on patient access, provider sustainability, and rural healthcare infrastructure. As Congress continues to debate these policies, CAFP remains committed to federal advocacy that protects Medicaid and strengthens the healthcare safety net for all Coloradans.

Thank You to Our Members

Thank you to all of our members for your continued engagement, advocacy, and dedication throughout the legislative and regulatory sessions. Whether you testified on a bill, contacted your legislators, participated in Doctor of the Day, or shared your expertise in other ways—your voice made a real impact. Your commitment to advancing family medicine and protecting the health of Colorado communities is what powers our work every day. If you have questions or want to get involved, please reach out to Neal Walia, CAFP’s Director of Policy and Government Relations, at neal@coloradoafp.org.