Our Recent Work

Behavioral health services for Health First Colorado (Colorado’s Medicaid Program) members with a formal behavioral health diagnosis have been delivered through a capitated managed care system since 1995. From July 2018 through June 2025, the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) implemented a Short-Term Behavioral Health (STBH) benefit, allowing members to receive up to six psychotherapy visits per fiscal year through primary care providers billed through fee for service and without requiring a formal behavioral health diagnosis. These services were intended to provide additional access for short-term episodes of care for low-acuity behavioral health (BH) conditions.

The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) collaborated with the Farley Health Policy Center (FHPC) to evaluate Colorado’s implementation of the STBH benefit and assess whether it achieved its intended goal of expanding access to BH services. Specifically, the evaluation examined whether the STBH benefit functioned as a complement to the existing capitated behavioral health system rather than a substitute for its services. To support this assessment, the FHPC analyzed service utilization patterns, provider participation, and feedback gathered through key informant interviews with representatives from the Regional Accountable Entities that supported implementation of the STBH benefit. Access the full report to learn more about Health First Colorado’s implementation of a STBH benefit.