Colorado Senate Votes to Stabilize Medicaid Funding in the Face of Trump Cuts

Yesterday, the Colorado State Senate passed SB25-290 to stabilize Colorado’s health care safety net in the wake of the state’s Medicaid disenrollment crisis. The bill, which is sponsored by Senators Kyle Mullica (D-Thornton) and Barbara Kirkmeyer (R-Weld County) and Representatives Shannon Bird (D-Westminster) and Kyle Brown (D-Louisville), passed with strong bipartisan support on a vote of 33-1-1.

SB25-290 establishes a Provider Stabilization Fund consisting of a minimum of $130M from available state revenue, private contributions, and federal matching funds available through Medicaid. Through this new fund, the bill will preserve access to essential safety net services for thousands of Coloradans, provide immediate financial support to a broad cross-section of safety net health care providers, and protect critical health care jobs and infrastructure in the short term while a comprehensive, longer-term solution can be developed.

“Our health care safety net has been strained over the last five years, and it is at a breaking point today,” said Senator Kyle Mullica. “Coloradans and Colorado communities are struggling. This is a necessary and important step to stabilize the safety net in the short term while we work on longer-term conversations about how we sustainably support our health care system in Colorado.”