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Adams County commissioners warn federal budget bill will cut Medicaid and food assistance
Summary
Commissioners said the federal budget reconciliation measure signed July 4 will reduce Medicaid and SNAP funding passed through to counties and flagged potential service impacts and budget shortfalls for Adams County residents.
Adams County commissioners said July 8 that a recently enacted federal budget reconciliation measure (referred to in the meeting as HR 1) will reduce federal spending that flows to local services, and they warned the cuts will affect Medicaid and nutrition assistance for many county residents.
Commissioner Kathy Henson, speaking during the elected-officials portion of the meeting, said staff have been tracking the bill and preparing contingency plans. “One in three of our Adams County residents currently are on Medicaid,” Henson said, adding that large reductions to Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits are “not happening immediately, but we know they're coming.”
Henson and other commissioners said the county will continue outreach to Colorado’s congressional delegation to explain local impacts and to seek ways to mitigate harm. Henson said county staff met with the office of U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans on July 2, and the board planned additional contact with other members of Congress whom they said represent parts of Adams County.
Why it matters: Commissioners said the spending changes could reduce access to health care and food assistance for working households, seniors and children, increasing demands on local services. The board noted the county lacks the funds to fully backfill large federal funding cuts and said the changes will affect the county’s 2026 budgeting process.
What commissioners said and asked: Commissioner Steve O’Dorisio described outreach the board has undertaken and emphasized the county’s commitment to continue services despite fiscal constraints. Commissioner Emma Pinter warned that previous experiments with work requirements elsewhere led to steep enrollment drops and estimated roughly 25,000 Adams County households could be affected if benefit access is tightened.
Next steps: Commissioners said human services, the public health department and other teams are building contingency plans and will update the board and the public as the state and federal rules are implemented.
