Senate committee confirms Gretchen Hammer to lead Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Finance

Gretchen Hammer was unanimously confirmed by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee as the next executive director of the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF).

The committee convened to consider Hammer’s nomination after the governor submitted her as executive director. A governor’s representative summarized Hammer’s two decades of Colorado health‑policy work, including roles on children’s coverage coalitions and at the state’s health exchange, and urged the committee’s favorable consideration.

Hammer told the committee she is committed to “forward‑focused, solution‑oriented collaboration” and to rebuilding trust between the department and the legislature. She said her first priorities include re‑orienting to the department’s contracts and operations and engaging stakeholders to focus the department on a short list of critical priorities.

Committee members pressed Hammer on specific management challenges. Senator Bridal and others asked how she would reduce friction between the executive branch, the legislature and providers; Hammer replied that a productive ‘dynamic tension’ is necessary but that her approach will be to create space for honest conversations, narrow priorities and work across branches. On provider contracts and program integrity, she said she would begin briefings with the department’s legal and operations teams immediately and flagged three focal areas: stronger enrollment screening, clearer contracting practices and improved provider guidance followed by rigorous post‑payment review.

Lawmakers also raised unresolved audit recommendations at HCPF, including issues tied to non‑emergent medical transportation. Hammer committed to reviewing the outstanding audit findings during her first two weeks on the job and to provide the committee an update.

Following questions, a senator made a motion to confirm Hammer to the executive director position; the committee voted and the nomination passed unanimously. The committee then placed the confirmation on the consent calendar.

The committee expressed support for working with Hammer on fiscal and operational challenges facing Medicaid and CHIP, and the confirmation closes this committee’s consideration pending placement on the full Senate calendar.