Family Medicine Resources

CAFP Joins Joint Statement Addressing Medicaid Crisis & State Budget Challenges

In collaboration with members of the Colorado Health Policy Coalition, the Colorado Academy of Family Physicians (CAFP) has signed a joint statement highlighting the urgent crisis facing Medicaid members and the safety net providers who care for them.

The statement, released on December 6, 2024, calls attention to the challenges posed by Colorado’s nearly $1 billion budget shortfall, which threatens critical programs and services. It emphasizes the devastating impact of recent Medicaid disenrollment on more than 575,000 Coloradans, resulting in reduced access to care and worsening health outcomes, particularly for vulnerable populations such as immigrant communities.

CAFP and coalition members urge state leaders to address this crisis in the 2025-26 budget by:

• Investing in infrastructure fixes and supports to make it easy for every Coloradan eligible for Medicaid and the Child Health Plan Plus to enroll and stay enrolled.
• Protecting and maximizing the Primary Care Fund.
• Maximizing every opportunity to draw down additional federal Medicaid matching funds.
• Identifying ways that Colorado can expand access to state resources.
• Reducing administrative burdens on physicians to free up resources for patient care.

By prioritizing these steps, the coalition seeks to safeguard access to healthcare for Colorado’s most vulnerable residents and bolster the safety net system.

Child Safety Update: HB24-1055 Takes Effect

This bill, which concerns improving child passenger safety, updates existing law to require children under 2 years of age be secured in a rear facing car seat when in a motor vehicle. The previous law only required rear facing car seats for children one and under.