Senate committee forwards six CHASE board nominees to the full Senate
March 26, 2026 | 2026 Legislature CO, Colorado
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The Senate Health and Human Services Committee on March 29 recommended six nominees for appointment to the Colorado Healthcare Affordability and Sustainability Enterprise (CHASE) board and placed the confirmations on the consent calendar.
Shay Lyon, CHASE board coordinator at the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, introduced the nominees and described the board's role overseeing the hospital provider fee. Lyon told the committee the hospital fee increased reimbursement to Colorado hospitals by more than $483,000,000 this past year and that Medicaid expansions and CHIP helped provide coverage for more than 438,000 Coloradans.
Nominees who spoke during the confirmation hearing included Hillary Johnson, who described long experience in health policy and personal experience with the Medicaid buy‑in for adults with disabilities; Julie Nicholl, chief financial officer for UCHealth’s Metro Denver region; Manath/Manat Singh, executive director of the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative; Rain Henry, a Department of Health Care Policy and Financing policy staffer; Ryan Westrom, vice president of finance at the Colorado Hospital Association; and Ryan Thornton, CEO of Mountain Ridge Hospital. Each nominee summarized their qualifications and reasons for serving on the CHASE board.
Committee members asked one clarifying question about whether Rain Henry’s employment at the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) would create a conflict with HCPF’s oversight role. Henry said there should not be a conflict and that HCPF is expected to have two representatives on the board; Henry stated she would be one of the two representatives.
After a procedural motion, the committee moved the six nominations to the full Senate with a favorable recommendation. The committee also placed the confirmations on the consent calendar after no objections were raised.
The full Senate will consider the committee’s recommendation as part of its confirmation and consent calendar process.
Shay Lyon, CHASE board coordinator at the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, introduced the nominees and described the board's role overseeing the hospital provider fee. Lyon told the committee the hospital fee increased reimbursement to Colorado hospitals by more than $483,000,000 this past year and that Medicaid expansions and CHIP helped provide coverage for more than 438,000 Coloradans.
Nominees who spoke during the confirmation hearing included Hillary Johnson, who described long experience in health policy and personal experience with the Medicaid buy‑in for adults with disabilities; Julie Nicholl, chief financial officer for UCHealth’s Metro Denver region; Manath/Manat Singh, executive director of the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative; Rain Henry, a Department of Health Care Policy and Financing policy staffer; Ryan Westrom, vice president of finance at the Colorado Hospital Association; and Ryan Thornton, CEO of Mountain Ridge Hospital. Each nominee summarized their qualifications and reasons for serving on the CHASE board.
Committee members asked one clarifying question about whether Rain Henry’s employment at the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) would create a conflict with HCPF’s oversight role. Henry said there should not be a conflict and that HCPF is expected to have two representatives on the board; Henry stated she would be one of the two representatives.
After a procedural motion, the committee moved the six nominations to the full Senate with a favorable recommendation. The committee also placed the confirmations on the consent calendar after no objections were raised.
The full Senate will consider the committee’s recommendation as part of its confirmation and consent calendar process.
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