PUEBLO- With the legislative session over, Governor Jared Polis is signing bills into law.
On Tuesday, the Governor made his way to southern Colorado: making stops in Pueblo and Colorado Springs.
Among the bills Polis made law included bills to expand a medication-assisted opioid treatment program currently in Pueblo and Routt counties.
The bill was Senate President Leroy Garcia’s top priority this session.
The expansion will add programs in the San Luis Valley.
Polis also signed a bill that creates a tracking program for treatment facilities in the state. This way, anyone seeking care could find out facilities that have space for substance abuse and behavioral health.
Both bills received bipartisan support.
“Right now it’s really difficult, families and individuals are sort of guessing where there’s a treatment provider and how to get there,” said Nancy VanDeMark, interim CEO of Mental Health Colorado.
Additionally, Coloradans could be seeing fewer surprise fees with their medical bills, as lawmakers worked to address challenges in the system.
“Often times it breaks the bank,” said Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera, who runs the Office of Saving People Money on Health Care, created by Governor Polis at the start of the year.
“Sometimes you can go in for a surgery, or a colonoscopy or something, you’ve done your due deligence, the hospital’s in your network, the provider’s in your network but then there maybe someone who’s in the back room that’s not in your network and then you get a surprise bill,” said Primavera.
Other bills Polis signed into law in southern Colorado include: Rates For Senior Low-income Dental Program, School Incentives To Use Colorado Food And Producers, Revise Traumatic Brain Injury Program, Dependent Tuition Assistance Program Eligibility, and Child Care Expenses Tax Credit Low-income Families.
