House approves bill requiring insurers to cover annual kidney‑function screening

A bill to require health insurers to cover annual preventative kidney‑function screening without cost‑sharing won passage in the Colorado House on March 12.

Representative Leader, the bill’s prime sponsor, said the measure responds to data showing chronic kidney disease is underdiagnosed and costly. “I introduced the bill because early detection of chronic kidney disease saves lives and saves money,” Leader told colleagues during third‑reading debate, urging support for the committee report.

Supporters said broad screening would identify disease earlier and reduce expensive late‑stage treatment. Representative Bacon, a co‑sponsor, cited an actuarial analysis by the Division of Insurance that she said estimates the measure would cost “3¢ a month or 36¢ per year.” Bacon added insurers’ quoted costs were far higher, and argued that covering screening up front would prevent far larger public costs from emergency care and dialysis later.

Opponents pressed two central concerns. Representative Bradley sought to ensure the mandate applied evenly across plans and moved an amendment to restore certain plans to the mandate; she argued the bill as written carved out state employee plans and other carriers and would create an uneven regulatory burden. "If we're going to mandate something, we have to mandate it for all," Bradley said when explaining her amendment. That amendment failed on the floor.

Other critics warned that additional required benefits can push premiums up. Representative Bridal and others cited research that some benefit mandates correlate with higher premiums, and said the Legislature should weigh long‑term cost impacts on consumers.

After floor debate, the House adopted the committee report and passed House Bill 10‑19 on third reading. The bill now proceeds to the next steps in the legislative process.