Mile High Specialty Care Network

The Mile High Health Alliance ("Alliance") is a member-based nonprofit building a coordinated, collaborative, unified voice for the healthcare safety net in Denver. We work with our diverse coalition members to improve access to care and quality of care for low-income populations: the un- and underinsured, as well as the one-third of Denver residents who are Medicaid holders.

One of our current priorities is increasing access to specialty healthcare services for low-income populations, especially newly enrolled Medicaid holders. While implementation of the ACA has expanded insurance coverage in Denver, it has also increased the demand for specialty care services, as new enrollees seek access to urgently needed care. Our goal is to share the responsibility of providing this care across a network of providers. There are currently no adequate systems in place in Denver to link primary care providers with specialty care providers and create medical neighborhoods for these patients.

In order to connect primary care providers to specialists, increase the number of specialists willing to accept Medicaid patients, and expand the range of specialties available, the Alliance is implementing a pilot program called the Mile High Specialty Care Network. The pilot will be based on two components: an e-consult platform and a specialty care referral "hub."

A comprehensive report written for the Alliance by the Colorado Health Institute provides the roadmap for the implementation of this pilot project. To read the report and learn more about the Alliance, please visit www.milehighhealthalliance.org.

Mile High Health Alliance is a Project of Colorado Nonprofit Development Center.