Colorado § 17-1-113 Medical visits - charge to inmates - legislative declaration

Colorado Statutes

§ 17-1-113 — Medical visits - charge to inmates - legislative declaration

Colorado § 17-1-113

Title 17Corrections

Art.Department of Corrections

This text of Colorado § 17-1-113 (Medical visits - charge to inmates - legislative declaration) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Colorado primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Colo. Rev. Stat. § 17-1-113 (2026).

Text

(1)(a) The general assembly hereby finds that the procedures for charging inmates a copayment for medical services are confusing to department personnel and, as a result, are inconsistently applied.

(b)The general assembly therefore finds and determines that the department should establish clear and consistent written procedures concerning copayments for medical, dental, mental health, and optometric services rendered to or on behalf of inmates and should require the facilities rendering the services to comply with the procedures, including the maintenance of detailed records regarding the assessment of copayments.

(2)The department shall assess a copayment, in an amount established by written procedures of the executive director pursuant to subsection (4) of this section,

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(1) (a)
The general assembly hereby finds that the procedures for charging inmates a
copayment for medical services are confusing to department personnel and, as a
result, are inconsistently applied.

(b) The general assembly therefore finds and determines that the
department should establish clear and consistent written procedures concerning
copayments for medical, dental, mental health, and optometric services rendered to
or on behalf of inmates and should require the facilities rendering the services to
comply with the procedures, including the maintenance of detailed records
regarding the assessment of copayments.

(2) The department shall assess a copayment, in an amount established by
written procedures of the executive director pursuant to subsection (4) of this
section, not to exceed five dollars per visit, against an inmate's account for every
inmate-initiated request for medical or mental health services provided to the
inmate by a physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, registered nurse, or
licensed practical nurse. The department shall assess a copayment, in an amount
established by written procedures of the executive director pursuant to subsection
(4) of this section, against an inmate's account for every inmate-initiated visit by the
inmate to a dentist or optometrist. The amount of the copayment for the dental or
optometric services need not be the same as the copayment for medical or mental
health services.

(3) The department shall communicate the copayment procedures to every
correctional facility that provides medical, dental, mental health, and optometric
services to or on behalf of inmates to ensure that all department personnel
consistently and regularly assess the required copayment.

(4) The executive director shall establish written procedures relating to
medical, dental, mental health, and optometric service copayments, which
procedures shall address, but need not be limited to, the following:

(a) The amount of the copayment to be assessed against an inmate's
account for inmate-initiated medical services, including but not limited to mental
health services, which copayment shall not exceed the direct and indirect costs
associated with any type of medical or mental health service that may be rendered;

(b) The amount of the copayment to be assessed against an inmate's
account for inmate-initiated dental and optometric services, which copayment shall
not exceed the direct and indirect costs associated with any dental or optometric
service that may be rendered;

(c) The detailed procedures that department personnel are to follow in
assessing the copayments;

(d) The specific services for which a copayment will be assessed, waived, or
reduced, as well as the specific and exclusive bases upon which a copayment may
be waived by department personnel, including but not limited to the inmate's
inability to pay the copayment, the health needs of the inmate, and the public
health and safety needs of the institution;

(e) The information to be obtained by department personnel at the time of
the inmate's medical, dental, mental health, or optometric visit on a standardized
department form, including the inmate's name, the inmate's identification number,
the amount of the copayment assessed, if any, the reason for the visit, the type of
service rendered, and the basis for any waiver of the copayment; and

(f) The appropriate action that will be taken, consistent with state personnel
rules, against department personnel who fail to comply with the copayment
procedures.

(5) The department shall monitor the information collected pursuant to
paragraph (e) of subsection (4) of this section to ensure that the copayment
procedures are being applied consistently to all inmates.

(6) Repealed.

Legislative History

Source: L. 87: Entire section added, p. 649, � 1, effective July 1. L. 89: Entire section amended, p. 880, � 1, effective July 1. L. 98: Entire section amended, p. 202, � 1, effective April 10. L. 2000: (6) repealed, p. 836, � 15, effective May 24; (6) repealed, p. 1545, � 2, effective August 2. L. 2008: Entire section amended, p. 294, � 1, effective August 5. L. 2016: (2) amended, (SB 16-158), ch. 204, p. 727, � 15, effective August 10.