Governor Polis Proposes Medicaid Funding Cuts, Leaving Caregivers Struggling

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Three mothers caring for their adult children with disabilities say cuts to their healthcare from Colorado's Medicaid program have already begun, creating additional stress for families already stretched thin.

"So my daughter has medically qualified for skilled nursing for 11 years and we heard last month that all of her skilled nursing was cut, was completely denied," Alicia Oxborrow said.

Oxborrow described the constant pressure of managing comprehensive care for her daughter, 19-year-old Cora. She is currently in the appeals process with the Department of Health Care Policy and Finance in hopes to get back the skilled nursing she could lose in the upcoming months.

Originally, Oxborrow says a nurse came four times a week to take care of her daughter, but with recent changes, 40 hours a week could go to zero.

"It's difficult to explain and to describe the constant stress of managing everything, not just the physical care, but everything else," Oxborrow said.

For these caregivers, the work extends far beyond typical employment hours.

"When you have someone who needs care 24/7, you have to be alert. He's not just oversight," Cindy Colwell said.

Colwell's 23-year-old son, Wyatt, has Spastic Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy. He was recently bumped up to a level seven on the DD waiver, which means he needs at least two people for most care.

Without skilled nursing coverage, Colwell says she would need to hire a certified nursing assistant using different Medicaid funding through her DD waiver, but the process presents significant obstacles.

People on the DD waiver cannot be given access to CNA support.

"They're saying CNA level care is embedded in the daily rate. The daily rate for 24/7 care is not close to minimum wage," Colwell said. "We're not asking for more we're saying we'll do the hard work for what you're giving us, even though it is an underfunded waiver, but don't cut more like we're all just in survival mode."

The mothers say reduced support services directly impact their quality of life and ability to maintain their caregiving responsibilities.

"Our worlds just get smaller and smaller the more you take away from the support," Colwell said.

Holly Richards emphasized the emotional toll of round-the-clock caregiving. She says it can be hard to talk about her struggles as a caregiver for her 21-year-old son, Ethan.

"I don't have that extra energy to put on anything else but what is happening with my son," Richards said. "Nobody really knows what goes on inside my home and the heartbreak that I deal with every day, the heartbreak of knowing that my child will never have a normal life."

Richards noted the permanent nature of their caregiving responsibilities.

"It doesn't get any easier when you have a child who, you know, we're going to get through this phase. There's light at the end of that tunnel. I've never, there's no light at the end of the tunnel. We are where we are," Richards said.

Oxborrow's response to the proposed Medicaid budget cuts?

"I always joke, you know, come live a week in our lives, like come stay for a week and see what it takes to take care of these kids," Oxborrow said.

But what changes are actually being made to Medicaid?

Well, Colorado Governor Jared Polis is proposing a significant decrease in Medicaid funding for next year's budget, saying the cuts are necessary to balance the state's finances. He blames the federal Big Beautiful Bill Act for forcing these reductions.

The proposed changes would slow Medicaid's growth rate from a projected 11.9% to 5.6% for the 2026-2027 budget year, or in other words, $631 million to $298 million.

The reduction has caregivers worried about their ability to provide essential care for their adult children with disabilities.

Nearly a third of Colorado's general fund goes to the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, which oversees the state's Medicaid program. Polis says continuing to increase funding for Medicaid at current rates is unsustainable, as more people are qualifying and using more services than in previous years.

There isn't a specific date when the budget will be approved, but any requests to change the budget proposal will be submitted and finalized by January 2. The budget itself will begin July 1, 2026.

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