Grand Junction Shows How To Lower Medicaid Costs While Improving Care

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Photo: Money and pills Medicaid

Medicaid provides health insurance for more than a million Coloradans, who comprise about a fifth of the state population. Medicaid is also one of the largest parts of the state budget, and costs rise each year. That spurred lawmakers to support an experiment by a health care collaborative in the Western Slope, Rocky Mountain Health Plans.

Since 2014, RMHP has tried to try to lower the costs of Medicaid while actually providing better care, and leaders there and outside analysis say the program, called Medicaid Prime, has succeeded. Lawmakers re-authorized it last year, allowing the program to continue.

Patrick Gordon, associate vice president at Rocky Mountain Health Plans, spoke to Colorado Matters host Ryan Warner.