Dozens of advocates, families and medical professionals urge Joint Budget Committee to protect Medicaid and home‑and‑community services

Denver — Dozens of patients, caregivers, health professionals and disability advocates told the Joint Budget Committee that Medicaid, Medicaid buy‑in options and home‑and‑community‑based services (HCBS) are critical to individual health, family stability and the state economy, and asked lawmakers not to cut reimbursement rates or programs in this budget cycle.

Speakers included caregivers and family members who described how waivers and HCBS enable people with developmental disabilities and complex medical needs to live at home and participate in daily life; a pediatrician who said early supports save long‑term costs; and advocates who warned that reduced Medicaid reimbursement or program changes would worsen access and strip community providers of capacity. Testimony came from individuals including Caroline Nutter (Colorado Fiscal Institute), multiple parents and caregivers (including Danica Deneillion, Mary Henick, Britney Tarango and others), service providers and disability advocates, and clinicians including anesthesiologist Dr. Woody Moss and pediatrician Dr. Cassie Littler.

Speakers gave examples: families described day programs, CDOS (consumer‑directed attendant support) services, and waivers that pay family caregivers and support employment and community participation; one parent said their adult child’s CDOS caregiver prepares meals, drives to church and job training, and that the waiver enabled a roommate arrangement that made supported living possible. Advocates warned that if HCBS services and attendant supports were cut, families might be forced to move loved ones into institutional or assisted‑living settings — which often cost the state more than community‑based care.

Clinicians said Medicaid’s reimbursement and network adequacy matter for access: witnesses testified that inaccurate provider directories and low reimbursement compromise patients’ ability to find providers; one health‑policy witness said 50% of providers listed as accepting new patients were not actually taking new Medicaid patients in her checks. Several witnesses urged that provider rate freezes constitute an effective cut that reduces access as providers leave networks.

Speakers also urged scrutiny of systems that affect drug prices: testimony referenced the Prescription Drug Affordability Board and pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) structures, saying reforms should target PBMs and MCO oversight rather than steps that do not address rebate flows. Several witnesses asked the committee to avoid short‑term budget moves that would reduce federal match and economic multipliers tied to Medicaid spending.

Committee members asked about operational problems, prior authorization and provider networks. Witnesses asked the committee to prioritize maintaining program funding and to investigate administrative failures and oversight that hinder access. No committee vote occurred in the hearing; testimony will feed into the JBC’s budget deliberations.