Paying for Treatment in Colorado

Health First Colorado (Medicaid)

Health First Colorado is Colorado's Medicaid program. It is free or low-cost coverage for people who meet income rules. You can apply any time of year.

It covers many kinds of substance use care. The state's benefits list shows no co-pays for services such as withdrawal management (detox), residential treatment, medication-assisted treatment, outpatient therapy, group counseling, and alcohol and drug assessments. Detox does not need pre-approval. Residential treatment does, and some other services sometimes do.

Income limits depend on your household size and change each year. You may still qualify if you make more, so apply and find out. New federal rules will affect some adults 19 to 64; check healthfirstcolorado.gov for the latest.

How to apply

Once you are enrolled, you are linked to a Regional Accountable Entity (RAE), a regional organization that helps you find and coordinate mental health and substance use care; call yours and ask for care coordination.

• Online with PEAK at co.gov/peak. This is the fastest way, and most people find out right away if they qualify.
• By phone: 1-800-221-3943 (State Relay 711), Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• In person at your county human services office or a local application assistance site.
• By mail with a paper application from hcpf.colorado.gov/forms.

CHP+ and OmniSalud

• CHP+ (Child Health Plan Plus) is low-cost coverage for children and pregnant people with household income under 260% of the federal poverty level. You do not apply for it separately: you get it through the same application as Health First Colorado. Pregnant people pay no enrollment fees or co-pays.
• Since January 1, 2025, eligible children and pregnant people can get full Health First Colorado or CHP+ benefits no matter their immigration status.
• OmniSalud, through Connect for Health Colorado, helps Coloradans who cannot get Medicaid, CHP+ or marketplace financial help because of immigration status. The application does not ask about status. Spots with extra savings are limited and given by lottery, so check connectforhealthco.com during open enrollment.

If you have private insurance

Marketplace plans must cover mental health and substance use services, and federal parity rules say limits on these services cannot be stricter than limits on medical care. Call the number on your card and ask:

• Is this program in-network? Out-of-network care often costs much more.
• Does this level of care need prior authorization (pre-approval)? Who requests it?
• What is my deductible, and how much have I met this year?
• What is my co-pay or coinsurance per day or per visit?
• What is my out-of-pocket maximum?
• How many days or visits are covered, and how are extra days approved?
• Are medicines like buprenorphine or naltrexone covered?

No insurance or not enough

Colorado's Behavioral Health Administration funds a safety net of services for people who are uninsured or underinsured. Ask any treatment program, or call 988 or the SAMHSA Helpline (1-800-662-4357), about state-funded spots near you. You can also search the OwnPath directory at ownpath.co.

The SAMHSA National Helpline can also point you to state-funded programs and places that use a sliding fee scale (cost based on income).

Free support you can use today

• 988: call or text any time for crisis support.
• SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357, free, confidential, 24/7, in English and Spanish. Or text your ZIP code to 435748.
• Recovery meetings like AA, NA, SMART Recovery and others, in person and online.

Questions to ask the billing office

• Do you take my insurance or Health First Colorado?
• Have you checked my benefits? Can I get that in writing?
• Do you need prior authorization, and will you request it?
• What will I owe per day, per week, or in total?
• Are there costs not covered, like lab tests, medicine, or room and board?
• Do you offer a sliding fee scale or payment plan?
• Do you accept state-funded (BHA) payment if I qualify?
• What happens if my insurance stops paying partway through?
• Who do I call with billing questions after I leave?