[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6134127,"mediaKeyId","5687401-ba8736170530c672e399e3c19e6ab2a6","parentId",5687401,"title","House committee advances bill to allow state-only Medicaid payments to providers excluded by federal HR1","audioSeconds",3245,"startMs",38489,"endMs",3283945,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5687401-ba8736170530c672e399e3c19e6ab2a6&start=38&end=3283","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5687401-ba8736170530c672e399e3c19e6ab2a6/thumbnail_38489.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6134127/Colorado/House-committee-advances-bill-to-allow-state-only-Medicaid-payments-to-providers-excluded-by-federal-HR1","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6134127-1ef500918c2ffbc73ef7085e65027d15/orig.mp4?Expires=1775398455&Signature=is1Di69U3OKv4iAZnXw-TLu5Eu36qmW35bxgF2WmXWjyPgAaYQuOcTPdBpcCNIRPPi6TPU0zIrISinsDMIHk0CzBjeq5vk4eOTMONgbzmGczjdufT750Q~TSRtGFjxtYybTlKBXqQ-gN1bUDogBdSlWsjWOKRNtZAhsee9-0~PNCKayWoFLY~aFo7IWDHolQGtctNU3j1rfh6UIu1Yhe1r17z3QqXSmvDFKih67gXNoF3fTWDH5trgG5GuCxp-WK5Uj8EHrVY~eN26ViyPHsKjqXLNjz3qH347vm5pMFitaviI2p8dTE~yxOFq6c96ZVt92eyfJjccP2nnpd9ckxzQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Colorado State Legislature","date","2025-08-22T00:00:00Z","article","The House Health & Human Services Committee voted 9–4 to advance Senate Bill 2 on a motion to send the measure to the Committee of the Whole, after a day of testimony that pitted sponsors and health-care groups against anti-abortion and fiscal-concerned witnesses.

The bill would authorize the state Medicaid authority to use state-only funds to reimburse nonprofit health-care providers that HR1 bars from receiving federal Medicaid matching payments — most prominently Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains — so that Medicaid-enrolled patients could continue seeing their existing providers while the federal legal fight over HR1 proceeds.

Supporters said the change is a narrow, temporary step to preserve continuity of care for people who rely on Planned Parenthood as a primary care home. Representative Wilford, a co-prime sponsor, told the committee, \"On July 4 with the passage of HR 1, Planned Parenthood was immediately removed from the federal Medicaid program,\" and said the disruption forced nearly 991 patient appointments to be canceled before a temporary restraining order restored services. Assistant Majority Leader Bacon, the other sponsor, said the bill is short and targeted and would let the state stabilize care by paying claims with state-only dollars when a federal match is unavailable.

Proponents and health-care witnesses described the practical effects in testimony. Jack Teeter, vice president of government affairs at Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, said, \"We serve over 11,000 Colorado Medicaid patients annually,\" and recounted patients who missed urgent tests or follow-up care when federal reimbursement temporarily halted. Lillian Boyd, a patient who testified in support, said she sought follow-up care after a medication abortion but \"was left with no choice but to monitor my symptoms at home\" and eventually sought emergency care after heavy bleeding.

Opponents challenged both the premise and the cost. Scott Shamblyn of Colorado Right to Life told the committee, \"This bill... takes taxpayer dollars to financially sustain abortion providers like Planned Parenthood that have been deemed ineligible for federal funding,\" and other witnesses called Planned Parenthood financially robust and disputed claims that it functions as a primary-care medical home. Several witnesses, including Dr. Catherine Wheeler and other medical and faith-based speakers, urged a no vote and pressed concerns about regulation and oversight of abortion providers.

Sponsors repeatedly said the funding ask is small relative to the Medicaid program and would be invoked only if federal reimbursement becomes unavailable. Representative Wilford told the committee the measure is meant to \"stabilize the federal roller coaster\" while litigation over HR1 proceeds; witnesses noted the injunction against HR1 and ongoing appeals could change the need for state-only payments at any time.

Votes at a glance: The committee voted 9–4 to advance SB2 to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation.

Discussion and next steps: Committee members who supported the bill framed it as a short-term, narrowly targeted way to keep patients connected to trusted providers until the federal litigation concludes. Members opposing the bill said the state should not backfill federal prohibitions and raised fiscal and regulatory concerns. The measure will proceed to the Committee of the Whole, where further debate and any amendments would be possible.

Background: Sponsors cited the July 4 enactment of HR1 and the sequence of court actions that followed — a temporary restraining order and subsequent injunction — as the impetus for the bill. They said Planned Parenthood and similar entities provide preventive and primary-care services to Medicaid patients in parts of Colorado and that sudden exclusion from federal reimbursement disrupted scheduled care.

A final vote on the bill is not yet scheduled. If the federal litigation or a Supreme Court action changes HR1’s status, sponsors said the state’s obligation to use state-only funds would be unnecessary and could be adjusted.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Health & Human Services [Aug 22, 2025]","oneSentenceSummary","The House Health & Human Services Committee voted 9–4 to advance Senate Bill 2, which would allow state-only Medicaid payments to nonprofit providers barred from federal reimbursement by HR1 to preserve continuity of care for Medicaid patients.","taxTitle","Health & Human Services, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative, Colorado","taxId",77850,"location","Colorado","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6134122,"Committee sends ballot-change bill tying Healthy School Meals funding to SNAP support to Committee of the Whole",2071,3252095,5323505,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5687401-ba8736170530c672e399e3c19e6ab2a6&start=3252&end=5323","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5687401-ba8736170530c672e399e3c19e6ab2a6/thumbnail_3252095.jpg","/articles/6134122/Colorado/Committee-sends-ballot-change-bill-tying-Healthy-School-Meals-funding-to-SNAP-support-to-Committee-of-the-Whole","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6134122-93d21bc6dcf4fd528844ea946a1138e9/orig.mp4?Expires=1775398455&Signature=ZrOm3FxvdmZpJOx34PU5dO8-P9FC2-Pp9QDp~zba3oKbeRngd51lOEUPnXBnnd~gl~hBhblCo-EVkxJfbtyAWtLtsUsBvlMcuZ7K1xwmcs~7k8LwzQI~GDbylBt3UcTByC-YMU48krIo5eQ82SiY2WSEgy7h3gQquQArTqftqQL4Tiqp~Xc08vi2MHQjvfn1sLtSAFZmSUh2Ve3Vewyn1JlJw3x755sn3iZCvQ-sYgGRuoOvtfosL~W8JvDerLkIpV0Kl86y7JScByw9QMN0pl7h4M-jojID08z~7oM4z0cYspcukVbh59CdIo0fUHd3InkFqHxW~gNGxSVRnOG3pw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Health & Human Services Committee voted 9–4 to advance Senate Bill 3 to the Committee of the Whole. The measure would ask voters to approve funding for Healthy School Meals for All and allow any funds remaining after fully funding that program to be used to support the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) administration, outreach and education.

Sponsors said the change is necessary in light of federal cuts in HR1 that reduce SNAP administrative matching funds, remove SNAP education funding and shift certain costs to states and counties. Representative Katie Stewart, a co-prime sponsor, said HR1’s changes put “more than 300,000 low-income Colorado families” at risk of losing food benefits and described the bill as a means to give voters the choice to shore up school meals and protect SNAP through the state ballot measure.

County officials and food-access advocates uniformly supported the bill in committee testimony. Thomas Davidson of Counties and Commissioners Acting Together (CCAT) told the committee counties administer SNAP and asked lawmakers to let voters decide. Kevin Neiman of Colorado Counties, Inc. said his membership adopted a policy supporting increased funding for SNAP administration so long as it does not financially harm Healthy School Meals for All. County and anti-hunger witnesses described the administrative burden counties face and warned that the state could see a loss of tens of millions in federal administrative funds under HR1: Abby McClelland of the Colorado Department of Human Services testified that the state faces an estimated $38 million reduction in state fiscal year 2026–27 and roughly $50 million in subsequent years in administrative funds, and that a state-match requirement could require $90–$140 million in later years depending on error rates and caseloads.

School nutrition leaders and local food advocates urged full funding of the school-meals program first and highlighted local purchasing and nutrition education components. Shannon Thompson of the Colorado School Nutrition Association said the universal school meals program supports students and reduces stigma; Valley Roots and other local food hubs described how local purchasing and “double-up” programs increase market demand for Colorado producers. Hunger Free Colorado and other anti-hunger groups said allowing leftover funds to support SNAP administration and outreach would help keep families fed if voters approve the measure.

Opposition testimony was limited and focused on fiscal priorities and concerns about program waste. Erin Meschke, who testified in opposition, argued that universal school meals were unaffordable and cited food waste concerns and preferred tax relief instead of expanding the program.

Votes and next steps: The committee voted 9–4 to send SB3 to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation. Sponsors said that a successful ballot question and subsequent revenue would require follow-up implementing legislation in 2026 to set spending rules and guardrails.

Background: SB3 modifies the referral language for the Healthy School Meals for All ballot measure so that, after the program is fully funded (including reserves and local-purchasing grants), any remaining proceeds could be directed to SNAP administration, outreach, and nutrition education programs to offset damage from HR1.","Senate Bill 3 would permit surplus funds from a proposed Healthy School Meals for All measure to support SNAP administration, outreach and nutrition education; the committee voted 9–4 to advance the bill to the Committee of the Whole after testimony from counties, school nutrition directors, anti- and proponents and state agencies.","actionData","errors"]

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House committee advances bill to allow state-only Medicaid payments to providers excluded by federal HR1

Committee sends ballot-change bill tying Healthy School Meals funding to SNAP support to Committee of the Whole