Date: May 12, 2026

Time: 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Type of Meeting: Virtual

Members Present: 3 out of 3 members were present

HCPF Staff Present: Antoinette Taranto, Chief Customer Officer; Thessica Covato, Member Engagement Specialist; Cesar Zatarain, Community Liaison

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Meeting Objectives

  • Continue to build understanding and commitment for person- and family-centeredness.
  • Provide opportunities for collaboration between the Department and members with the goal of improving member experience.
  • Develop clear, actionable recommendations for the Medical Care Advisory Committee (MCAC).
  • Strengthen alumni council collaboration by preparing for the December recommendation presentation.

Disclosure of Conflict of Interest

All members confirmed no conflicts of interest.

Old Business

Future Recommendation Topic Planning

Members continued discussion regarding future recommendation topics for upcoming MCAC meetings.

Transportation Recommendations

Members revisited prior discussions related to non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT). Staff shared that transportation program materials related to the new broker implementation would not be available for MEAC review until after the initial rollout phase in the Denver area. Members discussed potentially targeting transportation recommendations for the December 2026 MCAC meeting once additional implementation materials become available.

Provider Directory and Provider Search Concerns

A significant portion of the discussion focused on challenges related to finding Medicaid providers and provider directory accuracy.  Members noted that provider access concerns arise consistently during MEAC meetings and member discussions.

Members discussed recurring concerns including:

  • Difficulty finding providers accepting Medicaid
  • Difficulty locating specialists and getting timely appointments
  • Inaccurate provider information
  • Lack of available behavioral health and specialty provider information
  • Challenges identifying providers accepting both Medicaid and Medicare

Members discussed the importance of improving provider directory usability rather than placing the entire burden of data accuracy on providers themselves.

Additional discussion included:

  • Differences between physical health and behavioral health provider networks
  • Limitations of current provider data collection systems
  • The role of Regional Accountable Entities (RAEs) in assisting members with provider searches
  • The need for centralized, searchable provider information across systems

Vote: Future Topic Prioritization:

Members unanimously agreed to the following upcoming recommendation topics:

  • June 2026 MCAC: H.R. 1 Recommendations
  • September 2026 MCAC: Provider searches and provider directory improvements
  • December 2026 MCAC: Non-emergency medical transportation

New Business

Review of May MEAC Meeting

Members reviewed key themes and feedback gathered during the MEAC meeting related to H.R. 1 implementation materials, including:

  • Stakeholder toolkit communications

  • Immigrant eligibility and application changes

  • Work Program Verification Form

Members discussed several recurring concerns identified through discussion during MEAC.

Confusion Regarding Verification Requirements

Members emphasized that the verification forms remain difficult to understand and navigate.

Specific concerns included:

  • Unclear instructions regarding required timeframes and reporting periods

  • Confusion about which month(s) documentation must cover

  • Difficulty understanding renewal timelines and deadlines

  • Confusion regarding volunteer hour documentation requirements

  • Challenges interpreting multiple dates and instructions across forms and cover letters

Members noted that even highly engaged members struggled to determine how forms should be completed correctly.

Need for Clearer Instructions and Pre-Populated Information:
Members reiterated and strongly supported recommendations aimed at simplifying forms and instructions.

Suggested improvements included:

  • Pre-populating forms with member-specific reporting periods and deadlines

  • Clearly identifying which months require verification

  • Using bolded or highlighted dates and action items

  • Adding clearer instructions directly on forms rather than relying on cover letters

  • Providing visual timelines and step-by-step examples

Members emphasized that many individuals skim communications and rely heavily on the highlighted sections of notices.

Volunteer and Community Engagement Tracking Concerns

Members discussed concerns related to volunteer hour tracking and documentation.

Discussion points included:

  • Volunteer organizations may not maintain formal records

  • Members may not know they need to track volunteer hours in advance

  • Small organizations may lack administrative capacity to verify volunteer participation

  • Individuals could lose coverage despite meeting requirements if documentation is unavailable

Members emphasized the importance of providing advance notice and outreach before implementation.

Outreach and Education Needs

Members discussed the need for broad outreach efforts beyond Medicaid members themselves.

Suggested outreach targets included:

  • Nonprofit organizations

  • Volunteer coordinators

  • Schools and educational institutions

  • Work programs

  • Employers

  • Community organizations assisting members with renewals

Members discussed the value of:

  • Member-led outreach and storytelling

  • Radio, video, and social media campaigns

  • Instructional videos demonstrating how to complete forms

  • Clear messaging emphasizing actions members need to take to maintain coverage

Communication Strategy Discussion

Members discussed the Department’s approach to communicating about federal Medicaid changes.

Discussion included:

  • Balancing factual, action-oriented communication with broader policy context

  • The importance of clearly identifying that changes are federally required

  • Avoiding unnecessarily politicized messaging

  • Ensuring members focus on actionable steps needed to maintain coverage

Members generally supported continuing a measured, fact-based communication approach while maintaining references to federal changes where appropriate.

Presentation Planning for June MCAC

Members spent the remainder of the meeting reviewing and organizing the June MCAC recommendation presentation.

Discussion included:

  • Assigning presentation slides among council members

  • Reviewing survey results previously collected from MEAC members

  • Refining “What’s Working” and “Concerns” sections

  • Reorganizing recommendation themes for clarity and flow

  • Identifying recommendations requiring further refinement during the upcoming work session

Members agreed to continue development of the presentation during a scheduled working session prior to the June MCAC meeting.

Wrap-Up

State staff will:

  • Schedule the council’s independent worktime for the June MCAC recommendations.
  • Incorporate changes discussed to the slide deck and speaker notes.
  • Share updated slide deck and speaker notes document before the scheduled worktime.
  • Continue monitoring transportation implementation updates for future recommendations.

Adjourn

Next Meeting: 

  • MEAC – June 9, 2026, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (virtual)
  • MEAC Alumni Council – June 9, 2026, 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. (virtual)