Caregivers to testify at Colorado Capitol Monday

DENVER, Colo. (KRDO) - On Monday, February 2, caregivers of people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) and those with medically complex conditions plan to testify at the state Capitol. A large group plans to attend the Joint Budget Committee (JBC) meeting at 1:30 p.m. in person and virtually to share their stories with the committee.

The push comes after Governor Jared Polis signed Executive Order D 25 020 and Executive Order D 25 022 to extend the previous order. The Governor says this helps to ensure the long-term sustainability of Colorado’s Medicaid program as the state continues to face an estimated $850 million budget shortfall.

These changes would impact the Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Waiver and Community First Choice (CFC) services, which would require changes to the Code of Colorado Regulations. The state says the following initiatives are currently under review with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and are set to be effective in April 2026.

Spring 2026 Initiatives:

• New caps on weekly caregiving hours
• Annual service unit limits for Personal Care, Homemaker, and Health Maintenance Activities (HMA)
• Establishing a new minimum age for Community Connector utilization
• Reducing the annual maximum limit of allowable units for Community Connector.

These changes are expected to be pushed through the emergency rulemaking process in February. The latest revisions to the changes can be read here.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Colorado cuts paid caregiving hours for adults with disabilities by 50% starting April 1

On Friday, KRDO13 spoke with an El Paso County family impacted by the caregiver cuts. They hope to share how this will impact them and the 600,000 other people who rely on the program in Colorado.

Francesca "Mia" Harris and Joe Harris have four boys. They had an entire life built for them in New Mexico. Their kids were even going to a school named after Joe's father, after he was killed in the line of duty as a police officer. They say it took a lot for them to leave everything behind in New Mexico, but they did it for their little boy's quality of life. Their son Andrew was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. They say they didn't learn of his diagnosis until later on in his life, since New Mexico was one of the last states to enforce testing for SMA. Early diagnosis and access to SMA treatment can increase the chances of improved, long-lasting developmental outcomes for individuals with SMA.

"New Mexico basically said, we're out of resources and medical options for Andrew's needs. at this point, we're going to have to refer you to Denver Children's," explained Joe Harris.

The family uprooted and moved to the Centennial State, where they found hope for their son. They say the medical care, resources and waivers were a lifeline. Their family went from saying their goodbyes to their son and brother at 2 years old to giving him a fighting chance in Colorado.

"I felt like Colorado saw Andrew as a fighting chance as a person," explained Andrew's mother.

Now, Andrew is 4 years old. His parents are both medical caretakers who are currently paid to take care of him. Joe Harris also balances another job. Each day, they ensure Andrew is being fed through his feeding tube. Mia Harris sleeps with Andrew every night because he needs to be turned and monitored in case of an emergency. Andrew needs constant care and goes to multiple therapies each week. They also use a suction to remove any mucus. Where most can typically clear their throat, but in Andrew‘s case, he can’t, and if he doesn’t have it suctioned, he loses the ability to breathe.

"Suctioning we do about five to seven times an hour because we do want to keep that airway as clear as possible, because it is his only source of breathing," shared Harris.

They say this care is possible thanks to the 118 paid caregiver hours a week through Medicaid, which are currently on the chopping block. Harris says moving here for this only to be faced with a blanket cut is unthinkable.

"He's going to thrive in the state of Colorado. It just gave him a fighting chance to have an extended life. And now, two years later, we're being faced with cuts and such drastic changes that it's not only going to impact our family, the fam, our family, but the thousands of other families in the state of Colorado," shared Joe Harris.

They tell KRDO13 they wish the state would consider restructuring the pay schedule, cutting overtime pay or considering needs on a case-by-case basis.

"We shouldn't have to worry about putting food on the table or making sure our son is taken care of. like, that's just that's not. That's just not right," said Mia Harris.

They also raised concerns over bringing others into their home if they needed to fill the additional 56 hours of care. The Harrises say in New Mexico, they went through four different caregivers in two months who weren't able to fulfill Andrew's needs. Now they worry about having to do the same if these cuts go through.

We brought their concerns to the Governor's office, and this was the response:

 “Governor Polis is proud that yesterday the Joint Budget Committee approved the majority of what he proposed in his budget. Unfortunately, there are cuts to many areas of the budget that are necessary to achieve balance. Governor Polis submitted a balanced budget proposal that protects education and public safety funding. Medicaid is one of the fastest growing parts of the budget and the Governor's proposal protects coverage for Coloradans while also slowing the rate of growth. Even with the slowing, Medicaid is still one of the fastest growing major areas of the state budget. These are not easy decisions, and the Governor is focused on delivering a balanced budget for Colorado.”

- A spokesperson for Governor Jared Polis's office

Stay up to date with the latest local news, sports, and investigations by downloading the KRDO13 app. Click here to download it from the Apple App Store. Android users can download it from Google Play here.