Health care costs spike for undocumented immigrants
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A Colorado program that provides taxpayer-funded health care to unauthorized immigrants is seeing costs spike more than 600% after the latest influx.
Why it matters: The benefits that Colorado offers to people living in the country illegally are in the spotlight amid a federal crackdown on sanctuary states and cities.
How it works: A 2022 law dubbed Cover All Coloradans provides the equivalent of Medicaid and children's health insurance coverage to those who would otherwise qualify if they were citizens.
- As of last week, enrollment topped 14,000 individuals, and Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing projections suggest it could increase to 15,000 next year.
By the numbers: The initial cost estimates from 2022 came before Denver received approximately 42,000 immigrants from the U.S. southern border and anticipated a $2 million price tag for discretionary spending, according to legislative budget documents.
- Now, officials suggest the program's costs could spike to $16 million in the current fiscal year.
- In the next fiscal year, beginning July 1, costs are expected to double to $32 million.
What they're saying: House Speaker Julie McCluskie, one of the original bill sponsors, defended the program's merits.
- "Making sure that people have access to insurance is better for the entire health care system," she told Axios. "Because when people show up [without coverage] … it creates expenses that go unpaid for our providers, and it adds a burden to the entire system."
The other side: The two Republican lawmakers on the Joint Budget Committee balked at the cost and its purpose, both voting against the measure.
What we're watching: The Democratic-led committee gave initial approval for the additional money to cover the program's costs at a recent meeting, but lawmakers are considering possible caps to enrollment and other measures to limit its financial impact moving forward.