Colorado Rolls Out Medicaid Work Requirements, Shorter Renewals for 2027
Colorado's Department of Health Care Policy and Financing is preparing to implement federally mandated Medicaid work requirements and six-month renewal periods starting January 1, 2027, under the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act." About 175,000 Health First Colorado enrollees who qualify through ACA expansion will need to self-attest that they work, volunteer, or study 80 hours monthly, or earn $580 monthly, unless exempted as pregnant, medically frail, disabled veterans, caregivers, or other protected groups. The state will rely on self-attestation and existing data in 2027, with full verification required starting in 2028. Separately, about 5,900 Coloradans, mostly refugees and asylum seekers, have already lost coverage due to new immigrant eligibility restrictions, and Medicaid Director Adela Flores-Brennan expects roughly 3,800 more SSI recipients to be removed as the department processes eligibility changes.