Polis budget proposes major cuts to Medicaid

Driving the news: To make room for other spending in education and public safety, Polis is curtailing costs by reducing services offered by the state's Medicaid program, which covers 1.2 million low-income residents.

• His plan provides $298 million, or roughly 6%, more in discretionary spending for the program, but it's far short of the $631 million, or 12% increase, needed to maintain current services.
• One area he wants to trim is adult dental care. He's proposing a $3,000 cap on coverage.

The intrigue: The administration also hired an unnamed consultant to look at ways to prevent the program's out-of-control growth. It will issue recommendations by the end of the year.

What he's saying: "These measures are necessary because rapid growth in Colorado's Medicaid program poses the most significant challenge to the state's long-term fiscal health," Polis wrote in a letter to lawmakers accompanying his budget plan.

Zoom in: Other areas where the governor is looking to trim costs include eliminating vacant state job positions to save $3 million and converting Pinnacol, the state's insurer of last resort, into a private entity to generate $400 million. His agencies also found $25 million in cuts.

The big picture: The budget nip-and-tuck is partially needed to save Polis' core initiatives, such as universal preschool and public safety.

• Without the cuts, "we would largely just fund schools and Medicaid — no money for roads, no money for public safety, no money for housing," Polis said.