Every child and pregnant woman will be able to get health insurance starting January 1, 2025, thanks to a new law.
“Cover All Coloradans” is a program that makes state Medicaid available for care before and after giving birth. It also covers medical, dental, eye, and mental health care for kids.
Groups that help immigrants are trying to sign up families right now and to calm people’s fears about telling the government information.
The Denver Health mobile clinic is providing medical care at ReVision in the Westwood area of Denver on a day when food is being distributed. A lot of newcomers to Denver believe the nonprofit ReVision.
Bryan Rodriguez, who is in charge of the health program in Denver, says that immigrants are being taught about the new Medicaid benefits. “So we have started to hear from the community some concerns about what the implications may be in the future with the new administration that will come in in January.”
Frank and Keyli met in Denver and became friends. They are from Honduras and came to the United States earlier this year through the southern border.
They are glad to have the chance to get Medicaid.
Francis talks about how happy he is to be able to get health care in Spanish. In my case, I still owe money on a copayment bill that I haven’t been able to pay. I don’t have enough money to pay the bill right now, though.
Keyli is going to sign up soon. She is going to have her second child next year and tells other refugees to sign up. In Spanish, she said, “Well, don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid.”
“Based on current Colorado state laws they protect the privacy of the clients that are applying for these public benefits,” Rodriguez said. The government says that privacy is safe and the benefits don’t mean there is a “public charge” issue. The “public charge” rule says that a US Citizenship and Immigration Services officer can refuse to let someone into the US if they think that person will need certain government services in the future, which would make them a “public charge.”
Francis talked about her children and Keyli’s children and said, “This country has many more opportunities for them.” We don’t want them to go through what we did.”
When Cover All Coloradans was passed in 2022, Denver wasn’t getting tens of thousands of people from the southern border.
Representative Matt Soper, a Republican who represents Delta and Mesa counties, was against the bill at the time.
“As Coloradans and lawmakers, we need to figure out how to pay for this.” Representative Soper said, “The cost is going to be four times what we thought it would be two years ago.”
Cover all Coloradans is being put into place at a time when the state’s budget is short by a billion dollars.
“Our lower income individuals who are on Medicaid who might see access to healthcare cut,” said Soper. “We shouldn’t be giving programs and services to undocumented immigrants that we aren’t giving to citizens who are within Colorado.”
KFF says that Colorado is one of twelve states that cover all income-eligible children with health insurance, no matter their immigration situation.
“If we were to get them onto these benefits it would help them get the services they need and also help hospitals to be financially viable as well,” Rodriguez said.
The law called Cover All Coloradans was passed in 2022. It was expected to cover 3,677 people and cost $34 million, with $15 million coming from Colorado’s General Fund. It will likely serve 15,049 people in 2025 and cost $51 million, of which $39 million will come from the General Fund. This is already part of the planned budget for next year.
Source: New state Medicaid program covers kids & pregnant women, no matter immigration status
