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Staff Publications

Medicaid Appeals in Colorado: Data on Prior Authorization Denials, Appeals, and Outcomes

Subject:
Health Care & Health Insurance
Published:
March 5, 2026
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff

Using data from the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) on Health First Colorado (Colorado’s Medicaid program), this memo reviews the number of denials of prior authorization requests, the number of annual Medicaid appeals, and the outcomes of those appeals. It concludes with resources for filing an appeal.