Colorado has addressed the opioid epidemic with an array of public and private initiatives. Yet Colorado’s death rate has stayed consistent with national trends, despite a statewide comprehensive opioid strategy and successful efforts to reduce opioid prescriptions. This demonstrates that it will take more than cutting opioid prescriptions to end Colorado’s—and the nation’s—opioid epidemic.

A new spotlight analysis, developed by Manatt Health in partnership with the American Medical Association (AMA) and the Colorado Medical Society, focuses on two agencies—the Colorado Medicaid agency and the Colorado Insurance Department—and provides a detailed analysis of what the state has accomplished in three areas: substance use disorder treatment, pain management and harm reduction. Highlights include analysis of Colorado’s...