Medical Assistance

Under the federal Public Health Emergency Order for COVID-19, Medicaid members enrolled during the Order cannot be dropped off, even if their income goes above the guideline. Click here to learn more.

Medicaid, known as "Health First Colorado (Colorado’s Medicaid Program)" is free or low-cost public health insurance for adults or children who qualify. Health First Colorado can cover doctor visits, emergency care, preventative care such as screenings or immunizations, and other procedures and treatments. U.S. citizens or legal residents can be eligible for Health First Colorado. Pregnant, undocumented women may be eligible for delivery costs only. 

To learn more about Health First Colorado please visit the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing’s web page or to see what services are covered under Health First please visit their Health First Colorado Benefits and Services page. You may also search for a Colorado Medicaid Provider by visiting the Health First Colorado Provider Search page. Care coordination services can also be accessed through the Rocky Mountain Health Plans at 800-843-0719.

Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) provides low-cost health insurance for Colorado’s uninsured children and pregnant women who earn too much to qualify for Health First Colorado and who do not have other health insurance. CHP+ can cover regular check-ups, immunizations, prescriptions, hospital services, eyeglasses, hearing aids and dental care. To learn more about this program please visit the Child Health Plan Plus website.

Health First Colorado and CHP+ are both public health insurance programs for Coloradans who qualify. When you apply for Health First you are applying for both Health First and CHP+. You do not need to turn in more than one application for you or your family.


To Apply

Applications for Health First and CHP+ are available in English and Espanol. Use the Program Eligibility and Application Kit to check eligibility and apply online. 

When you apply for Medical programs through PEAK, you may be able to find out if you are approved right away through Real-Time Eligibility (RTE). 

If you already receive medical assistance you may check the status of your benefits or order replacement Medicaid cards by creating an online account through PEAK.

- OR -

Print out an application in English, Espanol, or Large-Print. You can mail, email or fax the application to:

  • Mail: Grand County Department of Human Services, P.O. Box 204, Hot Sulphur Springs, CO 80451
  • Email: gcdhs@co.grand.co.us
  • Fax: (970) 725-3696

- OR -

Pick up an application at our office, fill it out, and drop it off or hand it to our Economic Assistance staff for processing.


New Videos for Health First Colorado Members

Health First Colorado has developed four videos to help members learn about their benefits. The videos cover what a member needs to know about their physical, behavioural and dental benefits. A video has also been developed just for pregnant women. The videos can be found at the Health First Colorado website.


Health First Colorado and the Affordable Care Act 

Anyone who qualifies for Health First Colorado (Colorado’s Medicaid Program) cannot get a premium tax credit through Connect for Health Colorado. Clients may “dis-enroll” from Health First Colorado however they will still not be eligible for the premium tax credit through the Marketplace. For more information about other insurance options, please visit our Health Assistance Network page.

 

PEAKHealth Mobile App for Health First Colorado & CHP+ Clients Now Available

The Department of Health Care Policy and Financing has launched the new PEAKHealth mobile app. PEAKHealth gives Health First Colorado and Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) members a simple way to keep their information up to date and access important health information right from their phone. PEAKHealth is for current Health First Colorado and CHP+ clients who have a Colorado.gov/PEAK account. PEAKHealth is not for people who want to apply for benefits.

PEAKHealth will help Health First Colorado and CHP+ clients to search for a provider, view their medical card, update their income and contact information, view benefit information, make a payment and access health and wellness resources.

PEAKHealth can be downloaded at the Apple iTunes Store or Android/Google Play App Store for free. For more information on the PEAKHealth mobile app view this video tour.


Non-Emergent Medical Transportation (NEMT)

The Non-Emergent Medical Transportation program (NEMT) is a resource for Health First Colorado members that have no other means of transportation to get to and/or from their Medicaid appointments. NEMT requests are administered by the Northwest Colorado Council of Governments (NWCCOG). This program provides members with centralized services for their NEMT needs and includes the capability to manage all of their NEMT requests online. For details regarding who is eligible for NEMT services and how to access NEMT, please visit the Health First Colorado Member Travel page on the Mountain Ride website or call them toll-free at 1-844-Mtn-Ride (1-844-686-7433).

All travel is subject to prior authorization and the client must take the Medicaid Transportation Reimbursement form to the appointment and obtain the proper information from both the doctor’s office as well as the driver. The form is available in both English and Espanol.

Visit the home page for Mountain Ride to learn more about other available resources.


Colorado Dental Health Care Program for Low-Income Seniors

This program provides access to dental care for low-income seniors that meet the following criteria:

  • 60 years of age or older
  • Lawfully present in the state
  • Economically disadvantaged (an individual whose income is at or below 250% of the most recently published poverty level for a household of that size)
  • Not eligible for dental services under Health First Colorado or Old Age Pension Health and Medical Care Program, and does not have private dental insurance

The program provides services such as oral examinations, diagnosis, treatment planning, x-rays, fillings and more. To learn more about this program please visit the Colorado Dental Health Care Program for Low-Income Senior’s webpage.