Amid hundreds of spending reductions in Colorado’s state budget, lawmakers approved cuts to health care coverage provided for low-income children and pregnant people regardless of immigration status. Advocates worry about the impact to a program that has allowed over 20,000 children to see doctors, get dental cleanings and keep up-to-date on vaccinations.
Program Background
Cover All Coloradans officially launched in 2025 as a Medicaid lookalike program for children and pregnant people who would be eligible for government-subsidized health coverage if not for their immigration status. Membership cards look the same as those for the state’s Medicaid program, and providers don’t know about their patient’s immigration status. When the program was originally enacted in 2022, fiscal analysts predicted it would cost the state roughly $14.7 million in its first full fiscal year. Those costs actually ended up at $104.5 million, making it a target for spending reduction during a difficult budget year when the Legislature had to close a $1.5 billion budget deficit.
Proposed Limitations
House Bill 26-1411 proposed making a series of limits on the Cover All Coloradans program, including limiting its dental benefit to $750 annually, capping child enrollment at 25,000 and eliminating long-term support services for new enrollees. The bill’s most recent nonpartisan fiscal analysis predicts savings of about $16 million for the upcoming fiscal year that begins July 1 and about $30 million in annual savings beyond that. As of February, about 20,000 children and 8,000 pregnant people were enrolled in the program.
Service Utilization
Children mostly used coverage for dental services, routine health exams, immunization visits and care for upper respiratory infections. Pregnant people relied on it for postpartum care, lactation services and vaccines. Advocates argue that the upstream, preventive care enabled by the program saves costs in the long run by catching disease early and treating illnesses before they become expensive emergencies. Denver, Arapahoe and Adams counties have the highest number of enrollees, and 57 out of the state’s 64 counties have people enrolled in the program.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://kiowacountypress.net/content/limits-health-insurance-program-immigrants-approved-colorado-lawmakers