Our Recent Work

Health First Colorado faces a critical moment in 2026 as federal Medicaid changes intersect with rising Medicaid costs and a constrained state budget. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1) introduced major policy changes to the Medicaid program, including work requirements, more frequent eligibility checks, and restrictions on coverage for immigrants. These changes, along with longstanding challenges in Medicaid, create new administrative and coverage complexities. In our new brief we highlight five of the most pressing challenges Colorado Medicaid is currently facing, and potential policy actions to address these challenges and support the 1.2 million Coloradans currently enrolled in Medicaid.