Colorado does not have enough dentists to adequately care for all of the 1.1 million Medicaid clients who now have dental coverage, according to a new Colorado Health Institute study.

Two policy decisions have resulted in a historic number of Medicaid clients with dental benefits. First, Colorado expanded Medicaid eligibility to more low-income residents. Colorado also extended dental benefits to all enrollees, even the adults who were not previously covered for dental care.

The Colorado Health Institute today released findings from the first consumer experience survey of Medicaid clients participating in the Accountable Care Collaborative (ACC), the state’s signature project to reform the delivery of primary health care.

State Rep. Amy Stephens has joined the Colorado Health Institute as a policy adviser.

Rep. Stephens brings a state and national perspective on ideas and trends in health policy to CHI, a nonpartisan research institute. In her advisory role, she will help CHI ensure that it is researching and analyzing health policy proposals from across the political spectrum.

Mental health and access to mental health care are among the biggest health challenges for lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) Coloradans, according to a new Colorado Health Institute analysis of pioneering state data on health disparities faced by the state’s LGB community.The Colorado Health Institute analyzed results from the 2013 Colorado Health Access Survey (CHAS), which for the first time asked respondents to report on their sexual orientation, yielding insights on health insurance coverage, access to health care and how health care is used by LGB Coloradans.

Colorado has achieved uneven progress during the past year as it works toward becoming a healthier state, according to a new Colorado Health Institute analysis.

The Colorado Health Institute announced today that three health policy and health care experts have been appointed to the organization's board of trustees.

The Colorado Health Institute released a report today that gives a detailed picture of Colorado’s uninsured populations through a series of 17 maps, an analysis revealing significant statewide variations in demographic and geographic characteristics.

 “The Colorado Eligibility Atlas: Mapping the Uninsured,” focuses on the uninsured Coloradans who are eligible for public insurance programs or for health insurance tax credits through the state’s marketplace, Connect for Health Colorado.

The 2013 Colorado Health Report Card - produced through a collaboration of the Colorado Health Foundation and the Colorado Health Institute - launched today with a number of helpful new features.

Now in its eighth year, the Report Card tracks 38 indicators spanning five life stages.

A Colorado Health Institute study to be released Tuesday, February 11, finds that nine regions of the state are struggling to attract and retain enough primary care physicians.

“Colorado’s Primary Care Workforce: A Study of Regional Disparities,” reveals that Colorado has the full-time equivalent of 2,812 practicing primary care physicians, enough for each doctor to care for 1,873 patients.

The 2013 Colorado Health Access Survey, released today, reveals that 741,000 Coloradans – one of seven residents - does not have health insurance.

The percentage of Coloradans without health insurance is 14.3 percent compared to 15.8 percent in 2011 and 13.5 percent in 2009, when the last surveys were fielded. The 2013 data suggest a slight uptick in health insurance coverage, although an improving economy has yet to translate into a robust increase in the number of Coloradans with health insurance.