Medicaid appeals in Colorado: hearing deadline and keeping benefits
Health First Colorado: you have 60 days to ask for a fair hearing.
If you are a current member and your coverage is ending, or a service you already get is being reduced or stopped, your benefits continue until a final decision if the Office of Administrative Courts gets your appeal no later than 10 days after the date of action (the date the change takes effect).
Checked against official sources: October 30, 2026.
Appeal deadlines are strict. If you are near a deadline or your care is urgent, call free help today.
Medicaid (Health First Colorado) denials in Colorado
- Medicaid agency
Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF), with county offices and eligibility sites
- Who holds the hearing
Colorado Office of Administrative Courts (OAC); the HCPF Office of Appeals issues the final agency decision and handles approved expedited hearings
- Hearing deadline
60 days
The date on your Notice of Action
- How to ask for a hearing
- Online: Office of Administrative Courts e-filing system (you must create an account): oac.colorado.gov/resources/oac-e-filing-system
- Phone: Office of Administrative Courts 303-866-5626
- Mail: Office of Administrative Courts, 1525 Sherman St., 4th floor, Denver, CO 80203 (you can also deliver it in person)
- Fax: 303-866-5909 (10 pages or fewer; mail longer requests)
- Form: OAC State level hearing request form, or a letter. You can also ask your county or eligibility site for an informal meeting within 60 days, at the same time.
- Mail address
Office of Administrative Courts, 1525 Sherman St., 4th floor, Denver, CO 80203
- What to include
Your name and mailing address, your signature (if mailing or faxing), your daytime phone number, your Health First Colorado member ID if you have one, the decision you are appealing (you may include a copy of the letter), and the reason you disagree. Email: oac-gs@state.co.us.
- Keeping your benefits during the appeal
If you are a current member and your coverage is ending, or a service you already get is being reduced or stopped, your benefits continue until a final decision if the Office of Administrative Courts gets your appeal no later than 10 days after the date of action (the date the change takes effect). There is no continuation for a first-time application or for a new service that was denied.
Law: 42 CFR 431.230
- When the hearing is held
After the Office of Administrative Courts gets your request, it mails you the date, time and place of the hearing. In most cases the judge issues a written initial decision within 20 days. You can file written exceptions with the HCPF Office of Appeals within 18 days of getting the initial decision; the Office of Appeals then issues the Final Agency Decision.
- Faster (expedited) hearing
If waiting could put your life or health at risk, ask for a faster (expedited) appeal when you request the hearing and explain the health reason. If approved, HCPF calls you to set up a hearing and decides within 3 business days for a service issue or 7 business days for an eligibility issue.
Medicaid health plan (managed care) in Colorado
- Appeal to the plan first
Appeal a service decision to your health plan (regional organization or managed care plan) no later than 60 days after the date on the Notice of Adverse Benefit Determination. The appeal does not have to be in writing. The plan sends a letter within 2 business days and in most cases decides within 10 business days, or within 72 hours if an expedited appeal is approved. If you disagree, ask for a State Fair Hearing within 120 days of receiving the plan's appeal decision. To keep services during the plan appeal, contact the plan no later than 10 days from the date on the letter; to keep them during the hearing, the Office of Administrative Courts must get your request no later than 10 days from the date of the plan's final decision. If you are not enrolled with Elevate (Denver Health) Medicaid Choice or Rocky Mountain Health Plans Prime and you get a physical health service decision you disagree with, there is no plan appeal: ask for a State Fair Hearing no later than 60 days after the date on the notice.
- Then a state hearing
120 days
When you receive your health plan's appeal decision
- If the plan is late
If your health plan does not follow its appeal time limits, you may ask for a State Fair Hearing even if your appeal has not been decided.
Law: Health First Colorado Member Handbook, Part 6 (Appeals); Health First Colorado Member Handbook, Part 42 CFR 438.402, 438.408, 438.420
Write my appeal: free letters
Sources
The official sources for Colorado are listed on the Colorado page.