Each year the cycle continues, state lawmakers will have fewer ways to address the gap without cutting state programs and services. Skyrocketing Medicaid costs are primarily to blame.

Colorado families and behavioral health providers are pushing back against Gov. Jared Polis’ proposed budget cuts, warning the plan could drastically reduce access to autism therapies and other services for children with developmental disabilities. The governor’s budget proposal for the 2026-27 fiscal year includes reductions to Medicaid reimbursement rates, which Polis says are necessary to curb costs that have grown nearly 9% annually. Without changes, he argues, Medicaid spending could “crowd out everything the state does … no money for roads, no money for public safety.” But families and providers say the cuts would have devastating consequences. “They’re already at

A Colorado Springs mother said the idea that agencies can just hire more caregivers is divorced from the reality on the ground, where nurses have plenty of easier, more lucrative options for work.

Colorado Governor Polis proposes Medicaid funding cuts for 2026, reducing growth from 11.9% to 5.6%. Caregivers struggle with existing cuts.

YouTube video by Mother Jones

Colorado parents caring for adult children with severe developmental disabilities want to know why their pay is being cut

Colorado parents caring for adult children with severe developmental disabilities want to know why their pay is being cut

The ACA’s enhanced premium tax credits are set to expire at the end of 2025. This calculator estimates how much out-of-pocket premiums would increase for families if Congress does not extend the credi...