This page has information specific to this state, including contact information for federal and state agencies, and some key information about laws and consumer protections. Sometimes, state laws are more protective than federal law. For more information on this state's specific laws (e.g., on employment or health insurance), visit Triage Cancer's Charts of State Laws.
Advocacy
- For more information on state services, state agencies, and elected officials, you can view the state government website.
- For more information on how to register to vote in this state, visit the Colorado Secretary of State's website.
- View state legislative information, including the legislature's daily schedule and information on current legislative bills.
- For additional information and resources related to advocacy, visit Triage Cancer's Advocacy Topics Page.
Disability Insurance
Federal Disability Programs
- The Social Security Administration (SSA) administers two disability benefits programs: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). For more information on each program and how to apply, visit the SSA Disability Benefits website.
- SSI provides monthly financial assistance to individuals who have: 1) a disability, or are age 65 or older, 2) a low-income level, and 3) low resources. Some states add money to the federal SSI payment. Colorado's supplement is run by the state.
- Find your local SSA office
- For more information on disability insurance, visit Triage Cancer's Disability Insurance Topics Page.
Private Disability Insurance
- You can also purchase short-term and/or long-term disability insurance directly from a private insurance company or this type of insurance may be offered by your employer as an employee benefit. See our Quick Guide to Long-Term Disability Insurance for more information.
Employment
Federal Fair Employment
- The U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC) is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, transgender status, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, or genetic information. The laws apply to all types of work situations, including hiring, firing, promotions, harassment, training, wages, and benefits. For more information about the EEOC, including how to file a complaint, visit the EEOC's website, call 800.669.4000, or email info@eeoc.gov.
- The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is a program funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, that provides free, expert, and confidential guidance on job accommodations and disability employment issues. They also have several resources on how to approach an employer to request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act and a Searchable Online Accommodation Resource where individuals can find suggested accommodations based on job duties or limitations that they are experiencing. For more information, visit the JAN website, call 800.526.7234, or email jan@AskJAN.org.
State Fair Employment
- To learn more about your state's fair employment laws, including information about discrimination in the workplace and how to file a complaint, visit the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, Civil Rights Division website, or call 303.894.2997 or 800.886.7675.
State Unemployment
- Colorado's program is administered by the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, 303.318.8000.
- File an unemployment claim online or by phone: 303.318.9000 (Denver-metro area) or 800.388.5515 (toll free)
- Current weekly benefit amount and maximum length of benefits
- List of workforce centers
- Biweekly payments can be requested/recertified online or by phone: 303.813.2800 (Denver-metro area) or 1.888.550.2800 (outside Denver-metro area).
- Your Guide to Unemployment Benefits
- You must have earned at least $2,500 during the standard base period. A standard base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before the start date of your claim. Initial claims take up to six weeks to process. You must request your payment every two weeks even while waiting for the initial claim to be processed. Eligible claimants will be paid every two weeks. Claimants must register with their local workforce center within four weeks of the start of their claims in order to facilitate their job search.
Vocational Rehabilitation
- Your state's Vocational Rehabilitation agency provides vocational rehabilitation services that are designed to help job seekers with disabilities obtain competitive employment in integrated work settings. For more information on their services, eligibility requirements, and how to apply, visit the Colorado Office of Community Access & Independence, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation website, or call 303.318.8571.
More Information
- For more employment resources, visit Triage Cancer's Work & Cancer Topics Page.
Employment – Taking Time Off
Federal Leave Laws
- The U.S. Department of Labor Wage & Hour Division enforces the Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA) (866.487.9243). The FMLA is a federal law that allows eligible employees to take up to a total of 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year under certain circumstances.
State Family & Medical Leave (for self & for caregivers)
- Some states have family and medical leave that also supports caregivers. Colorado does not currently have a family & medical leave law.
State Paid Family Leave (for caregivers)
- Starting January 1, 2024, Colorado will have its Paid Family and Medical Insurance (FAMLI) program. While FAMLI provides paid leave, is not job-protected. However, you may be eligible for job-protected leave under other state or federal programs.
- Who's eligible? Employees working for a business of any size may be eligible for FAMLI paid leave. Self-employed individuals can opt into the program.
- Who can be cared for? FAMLI provides access to paid leave for individuals who need to take time off to care for themselves or a family member. This includes time off to care for the serious health condition of the individual or a family member, caring for a new child, preparing for a family member's military deployment, and addressing immediate safety needs and the impact of domestic violence and/or sexual assault.
- How much time is given? 12 weeks of FAMLI program paid leave may be taken in an application year. An employee may take FAMLI paid leave in smaller or intermittent increments, either in as small as one-hour increments or less, depending on how your employer measures employee leave.
- How much is paid? Through FAMLI, employees receive between 37% and 90% of their wages.
State Paid Sick Leave (for self)
- Colorado passed the Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (HFWA), which became effective on July 1, 2021. Initially, the law covered only employers with more than 16 employees, however, as of January 1, 2022, all employers in the state are covered under the law. Under Colorado law, employees must earn at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked; however, an employee cannot use more than 48 hours of paid sick leave in a year. Any unused accrued hours roll over to the next year, subject to the 48-hour maximum. Employers who offer their own paid leave policy that is comparable to the law's requirements are not required to provide additional paid sick time under the law. Learn more about Colorado's paid sick leave law.
- Some states have kinship laws that allow you to use your sick leave to care for a child. Colorado law allows employees to use earned paid sick time for the health care needs of some family members. For more information read Colorado General Assembly, Sick Leave for Employees.
State Paid General Leave (for any reason)
Some states provide general paid leave. Colorado does not currently have a general leave law.
State Bone Marrow Donation Leave
Some states provide leave to donate bone marrow. Colorado does not currently have a law that applies to private employers.
County & Local Leave
In some states, cities and counties have additional leave laws.
Workplace Leave Policies or Employment Contracts
- Everyone’s situation is different. Check your employee handbook, your workplace policies, and/or your employment contract (if you have one) to see whether you are eligible to take paid or unpaid time off from work.
More Information
- For more information about leave laws in each state, see our chart on taking time off from work.
- For more employment resources, visit Triage Cancer's Work & Cancer Topics Page.
Estate Planning
Triage Cancer's free State-Specific Estate Planning Toolkit includes information about estate planning in general, and information about Colorado estate planning documents, and the specific forms you need.
- Triage Cancer Quick Guide to Estate Planning
- Triage Cancer Checklist: Getting Organized
- Triage Cancer Quick Guide to Advance Health Care Directives
- State Laws on Creating Wills, Remote Execution of Estate Planning Documents, & Funeral Designations
- Colorado Estate Planning Guide
- More Estate Planning Resources
Finances
For information on financial assistance resources, you can visit the Financial Assistance Resources module at CancerFinances.org. You can then pick from the different categories of financial assistance, to find organizations that may provide financial help to you. Think creatively. For example, if you cannot find anything to help with your medical bills, you may qualify for utility assistance and shift the money you had dedicated to utilities to your medical bills.
- For assistance with managing your finances, including budgeting and dealing with creditors, visit the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.
- Bankruptcy may be an effective way to eliminate medical debt, credit card debt, and/or other types of debts. Learn about filing for bankruptcy for free in Colorado, and visit Triage Cancer's Quick Guide to Bankruptcy.
- Visit Triage Cancer's Navigating Finances Topics Page and CancerFinances.org for more information about ways to manage your finances.
Health Care
Health Insurance Information
- To find general information about health insurance and other types of insurance offered in your state, as well as to learn more about specific insurance companies, agents, or brokers, visit the Colorado Division of Insurance.
- For more information and resources on health insurance, visit Triage Cancer's Health Insurance Topics Page.
Health Insurance Options
Marketplace
- For information about options for buying health insurance from private insurance companies, as well as whether you are eligible for marketplace financial assistance, visit the Colorado Health Insurance Marketplace (Connect for Health), or call 855.725.6749.
COBRA
- COBRA provides a way for workers and their families to temporarily maintain their employer-provided health insurance during situations such as job loss or a reduction in hours worked. If you have questions about COBRA, visit the Employee Benefits Security Administration website, or call 1.866.444.3272.
State COBRA
- For information about your state's COBRA law related to maintaining employer-provided health insurance during situations such as job loss or a reduction in hours worked, as well as information about how your state's law works with federal COBRA, visit the Colorado Division of Insurance website, or call 303.894.7499, or 800.930.3745 (toll-free outside the Denver Metro Area).
Children's Health Insurance
- Visit this site to learn about the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) (Child Health Plan Plus) (800.221.3943), which provides low-cost health coverage to children in families that earn too much money to be eligible for Medicaid.
- Visit InsureKidsNow.gov to learn about free or low-cost health and dental insurance coverage options for kids and teens.
More Information
- For more information and resources on health insurance, visit Triage Cancer's Health Insurance Topics Page.
Health Insurance Appeals
- To apply for an Independent Medical Review (an external appeal of a health plan denial) or to file a Consumer Complaint about your health plan, visit the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies website or call 303.894.7855, or 800.886.7675.
- If your health insurance company has denied coverage for your care, you can appeal that decision. The process depends on the type of health insurance that you have. Visit the Health Insurance Appeals module on CancerFinances.org to learn more about appeals.
- If you have private health insurance (e.g., through an employer or the Marketplace), you can also file an external appeal with an entity outside of your insurance company, to see if the insurance company is required to cover your care. The external review process is either handled by the state’s insurance agency or the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Visit our Chart of State Laws on Health Insurance Coverage & Navigation to see who runs the external appeals process in your state.
Medicare
- Medicare is the federal health insurance program for people who are 65 or older, certain younger people with disabilities, and people with End-Stage Renal Disease or ALS. For information about Medicare, to create a personal account where you can view your Medicare information, and to learn about plan options, visit Medicare.gov, or call 800.MEDICARE (800.633.4227)
- Download a copy of Medicare's handbook, “Medicare & You.”
- For help navigating Medicare, contact Senior Health & Medicare Assistance (Colorado SHIP & SMP) (888.696.7123)
- For more information, visit Triage Cancer's Medicare Topics Page.
Medicaid
- Medicaid provides free or low-cost health coverage to eligible individuals, including people with low-incomes, families, children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with disabilities. Each state has its own rules for eligibility. Read Triage Cancer's Quick Guide to Medicaid to learn more.
- States have the option to expand Medicaid eligibility to individuals with incomes at or below 138% of the Federal Poverty Level. Visit Triage Cancer's Guide to Medicaid Expansion to see whether your state has expanded Medicaid.
- Visit this site to learn more about Medicaid (Health First Colorado) in your state, or call 800.221.3943.
- Colorado also has the Health Insurance Buy-In (HIBI) Program, a premium assistance program for Health First Colorado (Colorado's Medicaid program) members.
Early & Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, & Treatment (EPSDT)
- The EPSDT benefit is a Medicaid benefit available to individuals under the age of 21.
- States are required to provide comprehensive services needed to correct and ameliorate health conditions, including:
- Early: Assess and identify problems early, starting at birth
- Periodic: Check children’s health at periodic, age-appropriate intervals in comprehensive well-child visits, including health education
- Screening: Provide physical, dental, mental, developmental, hearing, vision, and other screening or laboratory tests to detect potential problems
- Diagnosis: Perform diagnostic tests and assessments to follow up when a risk is identified during screening and examinations
- Treatment: Control, correct, or ameliorate any problems that are found
- States are required to provide any additional health care services that are coverable under the federal Medicaid program and found to be medically necessary to treat, correct or reduce illnesses and conditions discovered regardless of whether the service is covered in a state's Medicaid plan. State Medicaid agencies are required to:
- Inform all Medicaid-eligible individuals under age 21 that EPSDT services are available and of the need for age-appropriate immunizations;
- Offer and provide, if requested and necessary, assistance with transportation to medical care.
- Offer and provide, if requested and necessary, assistance with scheduling appointments for EPSDT visits and services.
- Learn more about your state's program.
Coverage for Children
- Visit this site to learn about the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) (Child Health Plan Plus) (800.221.3943) that provides low-cost health coverage to children in families that earn too much money to be eligible for Medicaid.
- Visit InsureKidsNow.gov to learn about free or low-cost health and dental insurance coverage options for kids and teens.
In-Home Support Services (IHSS)
- Visit this site for information about a Medicaid program that helps seniors and people with disabilities to stay in their homes, by providing in-home caregiving services, such as help with activities of daily living, household chores, grocery shopping, etc. Some states allow family members to get paid as caregivers.
More Medicaid Resources
- For more information, visit Triage Cancer Medicaid Topics Page.
Free or Low-Cost Health Care
- For a list of Hill-Burton Federally Funded Health Centers that are obligated to provide free or reduced-cost health care, visit the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) website.
- Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) are community-based health care providers that provide primary care services in underserved areas. To search for an FQHC in your state, use the Find a Health Center tool on the HRSA website.
- To find a community clinic in your area: screenings and services in your area, visit the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics website.
- The National Breast & Cervical Cancer Treatment Program (NBCCEDP) provides breast and cervical cancer screenings and diagnostic services to women who have low incomes and are uninsured or underinsured. For more information about screenings and services in your area, use the CDC search tool.
- The Breast & Cervical Cancer Treatment Program (BCCTP) provides cancer treatment benefits to eligible low-income individuals diagnosed with breast and/or cervical cancer.
Health Care Programs & Laws
Women's Health & Cancer Rights Act (WHCRA)
- WHCRA provides protections for individuals who have had a mastectomy. For more information, visit the Employee Benefits Security Administration website.
Privacy
- HIPAA sets rules about health information privacy. To learn more, read this document on sharing health information with family members and friends.
- For more information about HIPAA and to file a HIPAA complaint, visit the Department of Health & Human Services website.
- To learn about making educated disclosure decisions, visit Triage Cancer's Quick Guide to Disclosure, Privacy, & Medical Certification Forms.
State Clinical Trials Law
- Colo. Rev. Stat. § 25.5-5-326: Access to Clinical Trials; Colo. Rev. Stat. § 10-16- 104(20): Mandatory Coverage Provisions
- Who must cover the costs? All individual and group health benefit plans
- What must be covered? Routine patient care costs that a policy or certificate holder, or his or her dependent, receives during a clinical trial
- Requirements for Coverage: (I) the covered person’s treating physician recommends participation in the clinical trial after determining that participation in the clinical trial has the potential to provide a therapeutic health benefit to the covered person; (II) The clinical trial or study is approved under the September 19, 2000, Medicare National Coverage decision regarding clinical trials, as amended; (III) The patient care is provided by a certified, registered, or licensed health care provider practicing within the scope of his or her practice and the facility and personnel providing the treatment have the experience and training to provide the treatment in a competent manner; (IV) Prior to participation in a clinical trial or study, the covered person has signed a statement of consent indicating that the covered person has been informed of the procedure to be undertaken, alternative methods of treatment, the general nature and extent of the risks associated with participation in the clinical trial or study, the coverage provided by an individual or group health benefit plan will be consistent with the coverage provided in the covered person’s health benefit plan, and all out-of- network rates will apply; and (V) The covered person suffers from a condition that is disabling, progressive, or life-threatening.
(Lat updated 8/2022)
More Health Insurance Resources
- For more information and resources on health insurance, visit Triage Cancer's Health Insurance Topics Page.
Housing
- The Civil Rights Division is responsible for enforcing Colorado state fair housing laws. For more information, or if you think you have experienced housing discrimination, visit the Civil Rights Division website, or call 303.894.2997.
- For more information, visit our Cancer Finances module on Housing Rights & Financial Help.
Legal Assistance
- For more information on ways to find legal assistance and what to consider before choosing a lawyer, read Triage Cancer's Quick Guide to Legal Assistance.
- If you are having difficulty finding a lawyer in your area, you can use the American Bar Association's Lawyer Referral Directory to search for your state and local bar associations. In some states or counties, these bar associations provide referrals to free or low-cost services for individuals with cancer.
- Lawhelp.org provides a search feature for free legal aid programs, legal information, and legal forms related to your state.
- For information about Medical-Legal Partnership programs in your state, visit the American Bar Association's Medical-Legal Partnership Locator.
State Cancer Information
- Your state's Comprehensive Cancer Control Program works to identify problems and develop solutions for health equity in cancer care and survivorship.
- Visit your State Cancer Coalition to learn more about the coalition of stakeholders working together to reduce the burden of cancer in your state.
- To see your state's strategic plan for reducing the burden of cancer in your state, visit the state Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan.
- The National Cancer Institute (NCI) gathers data related to a state's cancer screening & risk factors, incidence, and mortality.
Transportation
- Local transit systems may provide free or discounted rates for low-income individuals and families. Some cities also offer bus passes, vouchers for taxi or ride-sharing services, or shuttle services for patients traveling to cancer treatments.
- Dial 211 for assistance.