2023 Colorado Revised Statutes › Title 26.5 - EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS AND SERVICES (§§ 26.5-1-101 — 26.5-6-103) › Article 3 - FAMILY AND CHILD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING (§§ 26.5-3-101 — 26.5-3-904) › Part 4 - COORDINATED SYSTEM OF PAYMENT FOR EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES FOR INFANTS AND TODDLERS (§§ 26.5-3-401 — 26.5-3-410) › Section 26.5-3-409 - Payment from private health insurance for early intervention services - trust fund

(1)
Private health insurance carriers that are required to make payment of benefits for early intervention services for which coverage is required pursuant to section
10-16-104
(1.3) shall pay benefits to the department in trust for payment to a broker or provider for early intervention services provided to an eligible child. Upon notification from the department that a child is eligible, the child's private health insurance carrier has thirty days to make payment to the department.
(2)
(a)
When a private health insurance carrier makes payments of benefits for an eligible child to the department in trust, the money must be deposited in the early intervention services trust fund, which trust fund is created in the state treasury. Except as provided in subsection (2)(b) of this section, the principal of the trust fund must only be used to pay certified early intervention service brokers or qualified early intervention service providers for early intervention services provided to the eligible child for whom the money was paid to the department in trust by the private health insurance carrier. Except as provided in subsection (2)(b) of this section, the principal of the trust fund does not constitute state fiscal year spending for purposes of section 20 of article X of the state constitution, and the money is deemed custodial funds that are not subject to appropriation by the general assembly.
(b)
(I)
For the 2008-09 fiscal year and each fiscal year thereafter, the general assembly shall make appropriations to the department from the principal of the early intervention services trust fund for the direct and indirect costs of administering this section. Any money appropriated to the department pursuant to this subsection (2)(b)(I) constitutes state fiscal year spending for purposes of section 20 of article X of the state constitution.
(II)
All interest derived from the deposit and investment of money in the early intervention services trust fund must be credited to the trust fund, may be appropriated to the department in accordance with this subsection (2)(b)(II), and constitutes state fiscal year spending for purposes of section 20 of article X of the state constitution.
(c)
Within ninety days after the department determines that a child is no longer an eligible child for purposes of section
10-16-104
(1.3), the department shall notify the carrier that the child is no longer eligible and that the carrier is no longer required to provide the coverage required by said section for that child. Any money deposited in the trust fund on behalf of an eligible child that is not expended on behalf of the child before the child becomes ineligible must be returned to the carrier that made the payments in trust for the child.
(3)
No later than March 1, 2009, and no later than April 1 each year thereafter, the department shall provide a report to each private health insurance carrier that has made payments of benefits for an eligible child to the department in trust. The report must specify the total amount of benefits paid to brokers or qualified providers for services provided to the eligible child during the prior calendar year, including the amount paid to each broker or qualified provider and the services provided to the eligible child. The department shall provide the report required by this subsection (3) at least annually and more often, as determined by the department and the carrier.
Renumbered from C.R.S. §
27-10.5-709
and amended by 2022 Ch. 123,§3, eff. 7/1/2022.
L. 2008: Entire part R&RE, p. 1466, § 11, effective August 5. L. 2009: (1), (2)(a), (2)(c), and (3) amended, (HB 09-1237), ch. 216, p. 979, §4, effective May 2.