Resource Center
Cancer Care Access Updates & Resources
Cancer Changes — Explained in Plain Language
Cancer patients and caregivers should not have to interpret complicated government notices, insurance policies, or healthcare-system changes on their own. Beacon Cancer Navigation monitors developments that may affect access to cancer care and explains what changed, who may be affected, and what to consider doing next.
Every update covers
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Practical help understanding and organizing changes that may affect your cancer care — Medicaid, insurance, prior authorization, transportation, specialty-care referrals, financial resources, important deadlines, and practical next steps.
- Medicaid and insurance updates
- Prior authorization changes
- Transportation and lodging resources
- Specialty-care and referral changes
- Financial-resource information
- Important deadlines and notices
Policy, access, and navigation resources for oncology practices, nonprofit organizations, advocates, employers, and community partners working to improve cancer-care access.
- Policy briefs & recommendations
- Federal policy & CMS comments
- Colorado cancer access strategy
- Oncology practice resources
- Cancer care barrier research
- Partnership opportunities
Medicaid & Coverage
Colorado Medicaid Medical-Frailty & Coverage Update
Updated August 19, 2026
Important Health First Colorado Changes Coming in 2027
Colorado is preparing to implement new Medicaid community-engagement requirements beginning in 2027 for certain Health First Colorado adults.
For affected members who do not qualify for an exemption, the requirement generally involves completing at least 80 hours per month of qualifying activities such as work, school, approved work programs, volunteering, or a combination of qualifying activities.
Not every Health First Colorado member will be subject to these requirements. Colorado recognizes a number of exemptions, including circumstances involving medical frailty.
What Does Medical Frailty Mean?
Current Health First Colorado guidance identifies several circumstances that may qualify a person as medically frail, including certain:
- Serious or complex medical conditions
- Physical, intellectual, or developmental disabilities
- Disabling mental-health conditions
- Substance-use disorders
- Other circumstances identified by Health First Colorado
For people affected by cancer, a cancer diagnosis should not be assumed to be an automatic exemption. A person's health condition, treatment needs, disability, functional limitations, and individual circumstances may be relevant to Health First Colorado's determination. Individual eligibility and exemption decisions are made by Health First Colorado or another authorized government entity — not by Beacon Cancer Navigation.
Why This Matters for People With Cancer
Cancer treatment may involve circumstances that are important when Health First Colorado evaluates whether an individual qualifies for an exemption, including:
- Chemotherapy, radiation, surgery and recovery
- Frequent medical appointments
- Treatment-related fatigue, neuropathy, or pain
- Cognitive effects
- Mental-health effects
- Reduced ability to perform everyday activities
- Other significant treatment-related limitations
What Should Health First Colorado Members Do Now?
- Keep your mailing address, phone number, and email current with Health First Colorado.
- Open and review every Health First Colorado or county eligibility notice.
- Keep track of renewal dates and response deadlines.
- Keep cancer-treatment schedules and relevant provider documentation organized.
- Keep copies of any requests for additional information.
- Respond to eligibility or exemption-related requests by the stated deadline.
- Contact Health First Colorado directly if you have questions about your eligibility or exemption status.
- Seek qualified legal or benefits-assistance support if coverage is denied or terminated and you believe the decision is incorrect.
Health First Colorado members who may be affected by upcoming community-engagement requirements may begin receiving notices in August 2026. The new requirements begin in 2027. Not every Health First Colorado member will be affected, and medical-frailty and other exemptions may apply. Procedures and documentation requirements may continue to change as HCPF finalizes implementation.
Do not ignore a Health First Colorado notice, even if you believe your medical condition or cancer treatment may qualify you for an exemption.
How Beacon Cancer Navigation Can Help
Beacon Cancer Navigation can help patients and caregivers organize the non-clinical administrative pieces involved in maintaining continuity of cancer care. We can help organize and track:
- Health First Colorado notices
- Medicaid renewal dates
- Response deadlines
- Treatment schedules
- Provider documents
- Requests for additional information
- Records that may need to be requested from healthcare providers
- Questions to ask Health First Colorado
- Questions to ask the healthcare team
- Outstanding follow-up tasks
- Coverage-related correspondence
- Referrals to appropriate benefits or legal-assistance resources when needed
Official Source
Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing / Health First Colorado
Check the Latest Health First Colorado GuidanceHealth First Colorado procedures and documentation requirements may continue to change as implementation guidance is finalized.
Beacon Cancer Navigation provides independent, non-clinical logistical and supportive guidance. Beacon Cancer Navigation does not determine Medicaid eligibility, determine medical-frailty status, provide medical or legal advice, or guarantee that an exemption will be approved. Eligibility and exemption decisions are made by Health First Colorado or the appropriate authorized government entity. Medical information and assessments should come from appropriately licensed healthcare professionals.
Insurance & Prior Authorization
Electronic Prior Authorization Transition — 2027–2028
CMS is moving hospitals and certain health plans toward more standardized electronic prior-authorization workflows.
Beginning January 1, 2027, certain CMS-regulated health plans must implement Prior Authorization APIs designed to support electronic exchange of prior-authorization information.
CMS has also finalized the Electronic Prior Authorization hospital measure as:
- Optional as a bonus measure for calendar year 2027
- Mandatory beginning in calendar year 2028 for eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals
For people affected by cancer, this may be important because prior authorization can affect imaging, procedures, specialty services, and other parts of cancer care.
These changes do not eliminate prior authorization, but they are intended to improve electronic communication and reduce reliance on manual processes such as faxes, phone calls, and separate payer portals.
How Beacon Cancer Navigation Can Help
Beacon Cancer Navigation can help patients and caregivers organize the non-clinical administrative pieces of prior authorization, including:
- Insurance correspondence
- Authorization reference numbers
- Important dates and deadlines
- Provider and insurer contact information
- Questions requiring follow-up
- Documentation supplied by the healthcare team
- Appeal-related paperwork for organization and tracking
- Outstanding authorization-related tasks
For Healthcare & Community Partners
Beacon Cancer Navigation is also monitoring how electronic prior-authorization changes affect:
- Administrative workload
- Treatment delays
- Staff time
- Patient access
- Rural and independent oncology practices
- Referral and authorization workflows
Beacon Cancer Navigation provides independent, non-clinical logistical and supportive guidance. We do not make insurance coverage decisions, submit clinical determinations, provide legal advice, or guarantee authorization or payment.
Cancer Care Prior Authorization Watch
Prior authorization requirements can affect imaging, medications, procedures, specialty referrals, and other components of cancer care.
Beacon Cancer Navigation monitors Colorado and federal developments that could affect prior authorization and cancer-care access.
Beacon Cancer Navigation can help organize:
- Insurance correspondence
- Authorization reference information
- Important dates and deadlines
- Provider and insurer contact information
- Questions requiring follow-up
- Documentation provided by the healthcare team
- Appeal-related paperwork for organization and tracking
Beacon Cancer Navigation does not make coverage determinations or provide legal advice.
Transportation & Financial Access
Cancer Transportation & Lodging Resources
Transportation and lodging can become significant barriers when cancer treatment requires frequent appointments, specialty care far from home, surgery, radiation, infusion therapy, or travel to another community.
Beacon Cancer Navigation can help identify and organize potential resources.
Beacon Cancer Navigation can help organize:
- Transportation programs
- Gas and mileage assistance
- Lodging resources
- Cancer-specific charitable programs
- Community resources
- Financial-assistance opportunities
- Travel-related application deadlines
Availability and eligibility vary by program, location, insurance coverage, diagnosis, and available funding.
Rural & Specialty Care
Colorado Medicaid eConsult Platform Change — August 31, 2026
Colorado's state-supported Medicaid eConsult platform managed by Safety Net Connect will end August 31, 2026.
This does not mean that Medicaid eConsult services are ending entirely. Health First Colorado continues to recognize qualifying eConsult services, and providers may use qualifying third-party platforms.
Patients who are already waiting for a specialty referral or consultation should confirm the status of their referral directly with their healthcare provider.
Beacon Cancer Navigation can help organize:
- Specialty referrals
- Medical-record requests
- Provider contact information
- Follow-up responsibilities
- Appointment tracking
- Transportation and lodging resources when travel is required
- Outstanding logistical barriers
Beacon Cancer Navigation provides independent, non-clinical logistical and supportive guidance. We do not provide medical advice, determine Medicaid benefits or eligibility, or guarantee access to a particular provider or service.
Medicare & Patient Navigation
Updates coming soon
Beacon Cancer Navigation is monitoring Medicare Principal Illness Navigation (PIN) developments and other Medicare policy changes that may affect cancer patients. Updates will be posted here as significant developments occur.
Caregiver & Survivorship Issues
Updates coming soon
Beacon Cancer Navigation monitors developments affecting cancer caregivers and survivors, including survivorship care planning, caregiver support programs, and policy changes that may affect long-term cancer care access. Updates will be posted here as significant developments occur.
What Beacon Cancer Navigation Is Watching
Beacon Cancer Navigation monitors state and federal changes that could create or remove barriers to cancer care. When an important development occurs, this resource center will be updated with practical information for patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals, and community partners.
Receive Important Cancer Care Access Updates
Get occasional updates when a significant Colorado or federal change could affect cancer-care access, navigation, insurance processes, Medicaid, Medicare, transportation, or patient support.
Keep Me UpdatedNeed help navigating a barrier to your cancer care?
Beacon Cancer Navigation can help organize referrals, records, appointments, insurance correspondence, transportation resources, financial-resource next steps, deadlines, and unresolved logistical issues.
Important Information
Beacon Cancer Navigation provides independent, non-clinical logistical and supportive guidance. Information provided in the Cancer Care Access Updates section is educational and general in nature and may change as government agencies, insurers, and healthcare organizations issue new guidance. Beacon Cancer Navigation does not provide medical advice, legal advice, insurance determinations, Medicaid or Medicare eligibility determinations, or medical-frailty determinations. Patients should confirm individual benefits, eligibility, coverage, and medical decisions with the appropriate healthcare provider, insurer, government agency, or qualified professional.
For Healthcare & Community Partners
Beacon Cancer Navigation works to identify real-world barriers to cancer care and translate those barriers into practical organizational, state, and federal solutions.
This resource area is designed for oncology practices, nonprofit organizations, community partners, patient advocates, employers, policymakers, and other organizations working to improve cancer-care access.
Policy Briefs & Recommendations
Beacon Cancer Navigation policy briefs address topics including Medicare Principal Illness Navigation, Medicaid cancer-care access, medical-frailty exemptions, prior authorization reform, cancer transportation and lodging, rural cancer access, financial toxicity, caregiver support, and survivorship and continuity of care.
Federal Policy & CMS Comments
Formal comments and recommendations submitted by Beacon Cancer Navigation to federal agencies.
Recommendations to CMS on Medicare Principal Illness Navigation
Beacon Cancer Navigation supports sustainable reimbursement for Principal Illness Navigation services, simplified implementation for small and rural oncology practices, recognition of compliant community-based navigation organizations, and quality measures based on barriers resolved and patient-access outcomes.
View CMS Policy RecommendationsColorado Cancer Access Strategy
Beacon Cancer Navigation is developing practical strategies to reduce barriers to cancer care across Colorado, including:
- Transportation and lodging access
- Medicaid coverage continuity
- Rural and frontier cancer access
- Prior authorization delays
- Financial barriers
- Navigation capacity
- Caregiver burden
- Specialty-care access
Oncology Practice Resources
Resources for oncology practices interested in improving non-clinical navigation capacity, including:
- Navigation program design
- Workflow assessment
- Patient-barrier tracking
- Staff-capacity support
- Referral and records coordination
- Transportation and financial-resource navigation
- Outcomes measurement
- Principal Illness Navigation implementation support where appropriate
Cancer Care Barrier Research
Beacon Cancer Navigation is working to document the real-world administrative, financial, logistical, transportation, insurance, caregiver, and geographic barriers that can delay or disrupt cancer care. Future reports may include de-identified findings, patient and caregiver perspectives, healthcare-practice observations, and policy recommendations.
Working to improve cancer-care access?
Beacon Cancer Navigation welcomes conversations with oncology practices, nonprofits, cancer coalitions, rural healthcare organizations, employers, advocates, foundations, and community partners interested in improving cancer-care access and navigation.