Kaiser Permanente of Colorado has agreed to provide $155 million in premium credits to Colorado consumers, translating to a $287 credit to individual and family plan members in 2009 and 2010. The agreement settles concerns by regulators that the company was sending too many financial reserves to California, where Kaiser has its headquarters. At the same time, Kaiser said it would invest more resources into the Western Slope region of Colorado. State lawmakers have beefed up regulation of commercial health plans' rate setting but backed off a proposal to limit insurers' profits. Colorado Access has won a contract to administer benefits for the State Children's Health Insurance Program while also agreeing to be a case management vendor for the aged, blind and disabled portion of Medicaid in six counties. The Colorado Business Group on Health has expanded the Bridges to Excellence pay-for-performance program in the state to include cardiac care after starting P4P with diabetes care. Meanwhile, San Luis Valley HMO may have only 5,500 fully insured lives, but it's entrenched in its home region of southwest Colorado and is expanding into eight new counties.