Update on potential 2025 Medicaid changes... stay informed and speak up!
Times are unpredictable. Colorado Medicaid has many planned changes for July 2025, but most of those would be impacted with Federal changes to Medicaid, including the most critical Federal Match from Center for Medicaid Medicare services.
It's possible that with a reduction of the federal match, that many if not all Medicaid waivers will go to a waitlist. The loss of federal funding, and inability for our state to increase expenditures due to TABOR, will mean there has to be a reduction of waiver services and a halt on new enrollments. Bad news for Colorado's disability community
Federal changes will impact Medicaid medical services as well as home and community based supports (including waivers). The much-discussed launch of the Community First Choice program in Colorado, which allows any Medicaid member with state disability determination for long term care, to have access to in-home services and supports (IHSS), which covers personal care, health maintenance and basic homemaker services.
The potential repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is possible and has been a target of the majority-controlled Republican Congress for many years. If repealed, the launch of the 1915c waiver for Community First Choice will be canceled. That will move in-home services and supports (IHSS) into the state plan and make them available to most health first Colorado Medicaid members who have a disability long term care determination.
Should the Affordable Care Act (ACA) be repealed, there would need to be a reversal of changes to allow for Children's HCBS waiver to allow for in-home services and supports (IHSS) as part of waiver services.
Maureen continues to advocate for the disability community by voicing her concerns like a loud broken record in every state meeting. She questions what will happen if the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is repealed. HCPF staff usually says a reversion to the way things were in the past would be easily accomplished. But history has proven that things are never as easy as they appear.
If the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is repealed, it is important to note that affordable healthcare marketplaces will cease to exist. In Colorado Connect for Health Colorado would lose its subsidies and platform. The expansion of Medicaid for low-income populations - MAGI Medicaid made only possible from the ACA - would lose coverage, low-income adults who do not have dependents. And lastly, the extension of commercial insurance carriers would not have to cover adult children through age 26, which we have become accustomed to having covered.
Many people have also forgotten that prior to the Affordable Care Act in 2010, commercial health care insurance carriers legally could screen out people with pre-existing conditions. That could happen again should the repeal indeed happen.
The Badass suggests that if you've been considering a waiver, get on a waiver as soon as possible and monitor any changes as you maximize available services and supports. The easiest way to enroll in a waiver is to join our Roadmap for the Waiver Journey Program, which teaches you how to successfully apply, plus you'll have access to updated information and live group sessions with Maureen.
If you're interested in this program, please click the button below to sign up for our introductory live Info Session, hosted by Maureen. After each Info Session, we open up spots for attendees to enroll in our Roadmap for the Waiver Journey program.
RESOURCE: Check out this link to video presentations by Family Voices about upcoming potential changes. https://www.youtube.com/@FVCO
