14-03-2025
Health care costs spike for undocumented immigrants
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.
