Lawmakers Face Tough Choices As Medicaid Spending Explodes Crushing State Budget

By Nico Brambila | Colorado Politics

The state’s Medicaid program — which covers about one in four Coloradans — is poised for its largest single-year jump in at least two decades, with officials proposing a $2.3 billion increase, even as lawmakers face a $1.5 billion budget shortfall.

The data shows Medicaid enrollment has grown steadily, while spending has increased far more rapidly — more than fivefold since 2007.

As lawmakers begin work this week on next year’s budget, they will have to grapple with Medicaid spending, which has overtaken K-12 education as the largest line item in the state budget.

“What’s even more alarming, over the past five years, Medicaid expenses have averaged 19%,” said state Rep. Rick Taggart, a Grand Junction Republican.

“This is not sustainable under any stretch of the imagination.”

For some Coloradans, the program provides services that can be difficult to replace — from in-home care to therapies that help people with disabilities maintain their independence.

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