SNOWPACK

“What the Snotel data does not re ect is the mid and low elevation snow levels/water content,” he said in an email to e Colorado Sun. “As of a couple weeks ago, readings at all of the low/mid elevation sites were very high, with some of them at historic highs.”

GUEST COLUMN

sponsor of SB154 in 2021, which established a 988 Suicide Prevention Lifeline in Colorado to coincide with the federal launch in July 2022. For these e orts, I had the honor of being named a legislative champion by Mental Health America.

But there is always more to be done in correcting the healthcare gap between mental and physical illnesses. HB231130 is a bill currently gaining traction in our state legislature that is looking to reduce the amount of time between a patient with a serious mental illness (SMIs) being prescribed personalized treatment and when they are able to a ord it and actually begin receiving this form of care. is delay is primarily caused by “step therapy,” which is e Gunnison and Yampa-White basins were at 161% and 146% of their historical medians, respectively, as of Wednesday. Both will pass their usual seasonal peaks this weekend. e Colorado main stem, which was 132% of its historical median Wednesday, usually peaks around April 14.

In Routt County, particularly north of Steamboat Springs, conditions are similar to 2011 which was a big ood year, said David DeMorat, emergen- a treatment approach used by health plans to keep medication costs low.

When a patient is prescribed a drug by their doctor, their health insurance provider or Medicaid will have them try lower-cost medications rst to determine if they will be e ective at treating the patient’s condition. If those treatments don’t work, the patient can “step up” to the potentially more expensive treatment originally recommended by their doctor. HB1130 recognizes the signi cant harm that a patient may experience as a result of this delay by seeking to limit its use when treating SMIs.

When HB1130 passed the House with an overwhelming majority vote and show of support from lawmakers with 39 representatives signing on as cosponsors, I knew I wanted to do everything in my power to ensure a similar result in the Senate. A rst “step” was signing on as a prime cosponsor. e bill does not eliminate step therapy altogether, as it recognizes that cy operations director. insurers need to keep initial costs low to serve a greater number of patients. HB1130 remedies existing step therapy laws to allow patients with SMIs to try only one drug before they will receive insurance coverage for the prescribed drug.

“It all depends on how quickly it melts. at’ll be a key thing,” he said.

Before the spring runo heightens in coming weeks, the key for community members is to contact their local emergency management o ces and sign up for their alert systems, Spratlen said.

“To us, that is one of the biggest things that the public really needs to do, and then they will be noti ed if something’s going on,” he said.

Additionally, HB1130 does not lessen step therapy requirements for all Coloradoans with a mental illness, and rather focuses on those with severe mental illnesses that are impacted the most by delays to the most e ective treatments.

As a lifelong advocate for behavioral health being accessible to all who need it, I am proud to be a prime co-sponsor for HB1130. is legislation is a leap forward in recognizing that mental illnesses can be as debilitating as physical illness, and require the same highquality, a ordable, and individualized care as any other health condition.

Chris Kolker is the Colorado State Senator for District 16 in Centennial.

“ ey’re going to be very aware of it, whether it’s a law enforcement issue, a ood, a re evacuation, or whatever.” is story is from e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support e Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com. e Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.