Colorado To Require Health Plans To Use Nationally Recognized Clinical Criteria For Behavioral Health Coverage Decisions
Colorado is implementing new health plan requirements on January 1, 2026, to support parity in coverage between behavioral health and medical surgical benefits by requiring health plans to use nationally recognized clinical criteria for behavioral health.
The legislation, Colorado House Bill (HB) 25-1002, requires all health plans to cover medically necessary treatment of covered behavioral health benefits consistent with specified national criteria, such as the clinical criteria for substance use disorder developed by the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM).
It clarifies that the health benefits coverage for the prevention of; screening for; and treatment of behavioral, mental health . . .
