Colorado Bill Increases Patient Access to Behavioral Health Providers

Detected February 28th, 2026

Summary

Colorado Bill HB26-1002 aims to increase patient access to behavioral health providers by enhancing provider network participation, expediting credentialing, and reimbursing prelicensed providers. The bill also modifies clinical hour requirements for licensed clinical social workers.

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What changed

Colorado Bill HB26-1002, introduced for the 2026 Regular Session, proposes significant changes to health insurance provider network participation and behavioral health services. Key provisions include requiring commercial insurance carriers to contact inactive providers to confirm network status and patient acceptance, expediting the credentialing process for mental health and substance use disorder providers, and mandating reimbursement for services provided by prelicensed professionals under supervision. Additionally, the bill reduces the required supervised clinical hours for licensed clinical social workers from 3,600 to 3,000 hours over 2-5 years.

This legislation will impact healthcare providers, insurers, and patients in Colorado. Insurers will need to update their protocols for contacting providers and managing network participation. Behavioral health providers, including prelicensed professionals, may see improved access to networks and reimbursement. The reduction in clinical hours for social workers could potentially increase the number of licensed professionals. Regulated entities should review the bill's specific requirements regarding provider contact, credentialing, and reimbursement to ensure compliance once enacted.

What to do next

Review HB26-1002 for specific requirements on provider contact, credentialing, and reimbursement.
Update internal policies and procedures to align with new requirements for behavioral health provider network participation and prelicensed provider reimbursement.
Monitor the legislative process for HB26-1002's progress and potential enactment.

Source document (simplified)

HB26-1002

Provider Participation in Health Insurance

| Type | Bill |
| --- | --- |
| Session | 2026 Regular Session |
| Subjects | Health Care & Health Insurance |
Concerning measures to increase patient access to behavioral health providers, and, in connection therewith, efforts to enhance provider participation in health-care provider networks, reimbursement of prelicensed providers who provide mental health services under the supervision of a licensed provider, and decreasing the clinical hours required to become a licensed clinical social worker.

Recent Bill (PDF) Recent Fiscal Note (PDF) Bill Summary:

If a health-care provider has not submitted a claim for a period of at least 6 months, the bill requires a commercial insurance carrier (carrier) to contact the provider to confirm the provider's participation in the carrier's provider network and to determine whether the provider is accepting new patients.

The bill includes mental health providers and substance use disorder providers as providers who may participate in a carrier's provider network and expedites the credentialing process for these providers.

The bill requires carriers to admit prelicensed providers into the carrier's network and to reimburse prelicensed providers for services rendered when provided under the supervision of a mental health provider or substance use disorder provider.

The bill requires a clinical social worker to complete 3,000 hours of post-master's supervised clinical practice over a period of between 2 and 5 years in order to be licensed.

The bill requires a managed care entity to contact providers enrolled in medicaid who have not submitted a claim for at least 6 months to confirm the provider's participation and to determine whether the provider is accepting new patients.

The bill expedites the medicaid enrollment process for mental health providers and substance use disorder providers who apply to participate in the medicaid program.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Prime Sponsors

Representative

Kyle Brown
Representative

Lindsay Gilchrist
Senator

Matt Ball
Senator

Byron Pelton

Committees

House

Health & Human Services Appropriations

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Status

Under Consideration

Introduced

Under Consideration

Upcoming Schedule

1 meeting

Tue

Mar 3

House General Orders - Second Reading of Bills

9:00 AM House Chamber

Related Documents & Information

| Date | Version | Documents |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 01/14/2026 | Introduced | PDF |

| Date | Version | Documents |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 02/11/2026 | PA1 | PDF |

| Date | Version | Documents |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 02/18/2026 | FN2 | PDF |
| 02/06/2026 | FN1 | PDF |

| Date | Version | Documents |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 02/24/2026 | SA1 | PDF |

| Activity | Vote | Documents |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Refer House Bill 26-1002 to the Committee of the Whole. | The motion passed on a vote of 10-1. | Vote summary |
Hearing Summary | Committee Report: PDF
| Activity | Vote | Documents |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Adopt amendment L.002 (Attachment B). | The motion passed without objection. | Vote summary |
| Adopt amendment L.001 (Attachment A). | The motion passed without objection. | Vote summary |
| Refer House Bill 26-1002, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations. | The motion passed on a vote of 11-2. | Vote summary |
Hearing Summary | Committee Report: PDF
| Date | Amendment Number | Committee/ Floor Hearing | Status | Documents |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 02/10/2026 | L.001 | HOU Health & Human Services | Passed [] | PDF |
| 02/10/2026 | L.002 | HOU Health & Human Services | Passed [] | PDF |
* Amendments passed in committee are not incorporated into the measure unless adopted by the full House or Senate.

** The status of Second Reading amendments may be subsequently affected by the adoption of an amendment to the Committee of the Whole Report. Refer to the House or Senate Journal for additional information.

| Date | Location | Action |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 02/27/2026 | House | House Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole |
| 02/10/2026 | House | House Committee on Health & Human Services Refer Amended to Appropriations |
| 01/14/2026 | House | Introduced In House - Assigned to Health & Human Services |
Prime Sponsor

Rep. K. Brown | Rep. L. Gilchrist

Sen. M. Ball | Sen. B. Pelton

Sponsor

(None) Co-Sponsor

(None)