COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Colorado lawmakers are proposing a bill to establish a commission tasked with finding a solution to the unsustainable growth of Medicaid, but parent caregivers say they are wary.
More cuts are on the way for parent caregivers like Brittny Guzman, a concern she says she is now desensitized to.
"The budget was balanced on the backs of our most vulnerable. I think a lot of parents have lost faith in the entire system at this point," said Guzman.
She says she has witnessed amendments that would benefit her and other caregivers come and go.
"I don't trust any of them," said Guzman.
Senator Jeff Bridges, D-Arapahoe County, a sponsor of the bill, said in a statement, "Every year we are constitutionally required to pass a balanced budget.
This year, it is clearer than ever that TABOR’s rationing limit, Trump’s cuts, and the rising cost of Medicaid are crushing Colorado’s finances and families.
With this bill, we are creating a plan to preserve lifesaving care, responsibly manage public funds, and build a sustainable future for Medicaid in Colorado.
Another sponsor of the bill, Senator Judy Amabile, D-Boulder, said the following in a statement:
“Medicaid saves lives. We have to find a path forward so that instead of moving from one budget crisis to another, we have a real plan to ensure the people most in need get the care they deserve. Over the coming months, I’m committed to digging into the data, finding cost savings, and making informed decisions to preserve lifesaving care. This work won't be easy, but I will keep fighting for Colorado families like mine who rely on Medicaid.”
But Guzman says the time for action has passed.
"They haven't been speaking up to help families, and now it's kind of too late," said Guzman.
Parent caregivers online have raised questions about whether their voices will be included in the process.
"Are you going to be listening to parents that are being affected by the cuts that are happening now? Are we gonna be involved in any way so that we can advocate for our children? Other people saying, well, this isn't gonna work, and this isn't gonna help our kids," said Guzman.
The bill states $500,000 from Colorado's General Fund for the 2026-2027 fiscal year would be taken to support the commission's work.
Joint Budget Committee members and other lawmakers would make up the committee, but they would speak to Medicaid members, disability advocates, healthcare providers and community-based organizations.
Guzman says the crisis isn't going away.
"If they're trying to be proactive about the cuts to come from H.R. 1, and that's why they're forming this committee, because we're still in crisis? It's not going away and it's going to get worse," said Guzman.
One parent caregiver I spoke to off camera says the bill is deceiving, saying, "It sounds like a present with a bow, but it's actually a hatchet in a box."
Guzman says she hopes lawmakers will finally start listening.
"Parents who are readily available to speak on behalf of this community, I just hope, they'll listen, cause they didn't listen. JBC didn't listen, and they're on this committee," said Guzman.
If the bill gets approved, legislators on the commission will meet 6 to 12 times between May 23 and December 11. It has passed through the Senate and is under consideration in the house.
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