Statement on the U.S. House of Representatives’ Passage of Budget Reconciliation Package

Aurora, Colo. – Annie Lee, president and CEO of Colorado Access, released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a budget reconciliation package that includes significant cuts to Medicaid funding: 

“As the House of Representatives just approved legislation that includes substantial cuts to Medicaid and other safety-net programs, we are increasingly alarmed by the growing disregard for the real-life consequences of these proposed cuts. This is not just a matter of fiscal policy. This is a direct threat to the health and well-being of more than one million Coloradans, and to the providers, hospitals, and community systems that support them.  

At least 120,000 Coloradans were already expected to lose coverage due to the introduction of work requirements; now, even more will lose coverage due to the ill-considered, accelerated timeline added to the bill at the last minute. All experience and data point to additional people losing coverage due to administrative barriers and interactions with other policies in the legislation. We see the people behind the numbers: working adults, parents, children with complex medical needs, seniors, caregivers, and people living with disabilities – all of whom rely on Medicaid for access to care.  

We urge Congress to take a closer look at the harm these cuts will inflict and to listen to the voices of the people and communities they represent. There is still time to choose a different path—one that protects care, strengthens communities, and reflects the will of the majority of Americans who continue to support Medicaid. We now call on the Senate to protect this vital program, for the sake of all Coloradans.”