Bill to Expand Substance Use Disorder Treatment Options Takes Effect
DENVER, CO – On July 1, 2025, legislation sponsored by Senator Kyle Mullica, D-Thornton, to expand treatment options for Coloradans with Substance Use Disorder (SUD) will fully take effect.
“More than 1,500 of our neighbors died from a drug overdose here in Colorado last year, a heartbreaking number we must work hard to reduce,” said Mullica. “In recent years we’ve advanced a number of policies to tackle this crisis, including this bill to expand treatment options for folks struggling with substance use disorders. I am proud of the work we've done, and I look forward to helping more Coloradans get the help and support they need to get their lives back on track.”
Beginning July 1, 2025, HB24-1045 requires the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) to provide the following reentry services to people immediately before they are released from the Division of Youth Services (DYS) in the CDHS or a Department of Corrections (DOC) facility:
Medicated-assisted treatment (MAT) medications, via an opioid treatment program;
A 30-day supply of additional medications, if needed; and
Case management services, which are assumed to include screening, brief intervention, and care coordination services.
Additionally, the Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) will begin to collect and share data on admission denials from withdrawal management facilities. BHA will also contract with a third-party entity to support behavioral health providers pursuing safety net status, offering assistance with billing, cost reporting, and payer enrollment.
During the 2023 interim, ten lawmakers served on the Opioid and Other Substance Use Disorders Study Committee. The committee advanced four bills, including HB24-1045, for the General Assembly to consider during the 2024 session. These bills bolster prevention efforts, improve treatment programs, promote harm reduction strategies, and support Coloradans in recovery to prevent overdose deaths and save lives.