{"id":2071887,"date":"2025-08-13T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-13T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/?post_type=article&#038;p=2071887"},"modified":"2025-08-19T09:09:20","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T13:09:20","slug":"medicaid-cuts-rural-colorado-trump-economic-ripple-effects","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/news\/article\/medicaid-cuts-rural-colorado-trump-economic-ripple-effects\/","title":{"rendered":"Medicaid Cuts Could Have Vast Ripple Effects in This Rural Colorado Community"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>In southern Colorado\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colorado.com\/region\/mystic-san-luis-valley\">San Luis Valley<\/a>, clouds billow above the towering mountains of the Sangre de Cristo range. A chorus of blackbirds whistle as they flit among the reeds of a wildlife refuge. Big, circular fields of crops, interspersed with native shrubs, give it a feel of bucolic quiet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<aside class=\"block--sidebar alignright \">\n\t\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kaiser-health-news-partner block--partner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"partner__image--link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/shots-health-news\/2025\/06\/22\/nx-s1-5440492\/medicaid-cuts-trump-congress-big-beautiful-bill-rural-colorado\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"partner__image\" src=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/npr-hi-res-logo.png?w=120\" alt=\"Partner logo\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"partner__content\">\n\t\tThis article is from a partnership that includes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cpr.org\/news\/\">CPR News<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/npr.org\/shots\">NPR<\/a>, and KFF Health News. It can be <a href=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/news\/article\/medicaid-cuts-rural-colorado-trump-economic-ripple-effects\/view\/republish\/\">republished for free<\/a>.\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-style-classic  wp-block-kff-common-promo\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-kff-common-promo__image\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"wp-block-kff-common-promo__link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kff.org\/medicaid-watch\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/250404_Medicaid-Watch_feature-image.png?w=500\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-kff-common-promo__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-kff-common-promo__excerpt\">This article is part of KFF\u2019s Medicaid Watch, featuring policy research, polling, and news about the Medicaid financing debate and related issues.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"wp-block-kff-common-promo__read-more wp-block-kff-common-promo__link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kff.org\/medicaid-watch\/\">View More<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/aside>\n\n\n\n<p>But amid the stark beauty in one of the state\u2019s most <a href=\"https:\/\/choosecolorado.com\/regional-profile\/san-luis-valley-region\/\">productive agricultural regions<\/a>, there was a sense of unease among the community\u2019s leaders as Congress debated a budget bill that could radically reshape <a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicaid.gov\/\">Medicaid, the government health program<\/a> for low-income people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m trying to be worried and optimistic,\u201d said Konnie Martin, CEO of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sanluisvalleyhealth.org\/\">San Luis Valley Health<\/a> in Alamosa, Colorado, the hub for health care services for 50,000 people in six rural counties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Martin said Medicaid is vital to rural health care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI think in Colorado right now, nearly 70% of rural hospitals are operating in a negative margin,\u201d in the red, Martin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The health system\u2019s annual budget is $140 million, and Medicaid revenue makes up nearly a third of that, according to Shane Mortensen, chief financial officer for SLV Health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The operating margin is razor-thin, so federal cuts to Medicaid could force difficult cuts at SLV. \u201cIt will be devastating to us,\u201d Mortensen said.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"block--iframe\">\n\t<iframe\n\t\tallow=\"fullscreen\"\n\t\tframeborder=\"0\"\n\t\theight=\"250\"\n\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/player\/embed\/nx-s1-5440492\/nx-s1-5469067-1\"\n\t\twidth=\"100%\"\n\t><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conejoscountycitizen.com\/stories\/the-san-luis-valley-by-the-numbers,88836\">The region<\/a> is one of the state\u2019s poorest. In Alamosa County, <a href=\"https:\/\/hcpf.colorado.gov\/county-fact-sheets\">2 in 5<\/a> residents are enrolled in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthfirstcolorado.com\/\">Health First Colorado<\/a>, the state\u2019s Medicaid program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s a lifeline, especially for people who wouldn\u2019t otherwise have easy access to health care. That includes low-income seniors who need supplemental coverage in addition to Medicare, and people of all ages with disabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Envisioning a future with deep Medicaid cutbacks leaves many patients on edge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI looked into our insurance and, oh my goodness, it\u2019s just going to take half my check to pay insurance,\u201d said Julianna Mascarenas, a mother of six. She said Medicaid has helped her cover her family for years. Mascarenas works as a counselor treating people with substance use disorders. Her ex-husband farms \u2014 potatoes and cattle \u2014 for employers that don\u2019t offer health insurance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1532\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Mascarenas.jpg\" alt=\"A close photograph of a woman wearing rectangular glasses. She has straight brown hair and wears a patterned sweater.\" class=\"wp-image-2074298\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Mascarenas.jpg 1532w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Mascarenas.jpg?resize=150,100 150w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Mascarenas.jpg?resize=500,334 500w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Mascarenas.jpg?resize=768,513 768w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Mascarenas.jpg?resize=1270,849 1270w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Mascarenas.jpg?resize=840,560 840w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Mascarenas.jpg?resize=720,480 720w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Mascarenas.jpg?resize=570,380 570w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Mascarenas.jpg?resize=370,247 370w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Mascarenas.jpg?resize=270,180 270w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Mascarenas.jpg?resize=170,114 170w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Mascarenas.jpg?resize=100,67 100w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Mascarenas.jpg?resize=120,80 120w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Mascarenas.jpg?resize=300,201 300w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Mascarenas.jpg?resize=200,134 200w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Mascarenas.jpg?resize=315,211 315w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Mascarenas.jpg?resize=630,421 630w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Mascarenas.jpg?resize=1200,802 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1532px) 100vw, 1532px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Julianna Mascarenas, a mother of six, says Medicaid has helped cover health care for her family for years.<span class=\"photo-credit\">(Hart Van Denburg\/CPR News)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Across the state, Medicaid covers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cpr.org\/2025\/02\/28\/colorado-medicaid-federal-cuts-what-to-know\/\">1 in 5<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cpr.org\/2025\/02\/28\/colorado-medicaid-federal-cuts-what-to-know\/\"> <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cpr.org\/2025\/02\/28\/colorado-medicaid-federal-cuts-what-to-know\/\">Coloradans<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/hcpf.colorado.gov\/ccu\">more than a million people<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That includes children in foster care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve had 13 kids in and out of our home, six of which have been born here at this hospital with drugs in their system,\u201d foster parent Chance Padilla said, referring to SLV&#8217;s flagship hospital in Alamosa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMedicaid has played a huge part in just being able to give them the normal life that they deserve,\u201d he said. \u201cThese kids require a lot of medical intervention.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chris Padilla, Chance\u2019s husband, said: \u201cAt one point, we had a preteen that needed to be seen three times a week by a mental health professional. There\u2019s no way that we could have done that without Medicaid.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Staff and administrators at SLV Health wonder whether federal cuts will make it hard for the system to keep its cancer center running.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt could be pretty dramatically affected,\u201d said Carmelo Hernandez, SLV\u2019s chief medical officer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The hospital in Alamosa has its own labor and delivery unit, the type of service that other rural hospitals across the U.S. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usnews.com\/news\/health-news\/articles\/2024-12-05\/americas-rural-hospitals-are-shutting-down-maternity-wards#:~:text=By%202022%2C%20a%20majority%20(52,new%20moms%20and%20their%20babies.\">have struggled to keep open<\/a>. About 85% of the hospital\u2019s labor and delivery patients are covered by Medicaid, Hernandez said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1532\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Hernandez.jpg\" alt=\"A photo of a male doctor standing with his arms crossed in a medical room.\" class=\"wp-image-2074300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Hernandez.jpg 1532w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Hernandez.jpg?resize=150,100 150w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Hernandez.jpg?resize=500,334 500w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Hernandez.jpg?resize=768,513 768w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Hernandez.jpg?resize=1270,849 1270w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Hernandez.jpg?resize=840,560 840w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Hernandez.jpg?resize=720,480 720w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Hernandez.jpg?resize=570,380 570w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Hernandez.jpg?resize=370,247 370w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Hernandez.jpg?resize=270,180 270w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Hernandez.jpg?resize=170,114 170w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Hernandez.jpg?resize=100,67 100w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Hernandez.jpg?resize=120,80 120w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Hernandez.jpg?resize=300,201 300w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Hernandez.jpg?resize=200,134 200w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Hernandez.jpg?resize=315,211 315w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Hernandez.jpg?resize=630,421 630w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Hernandez.jpg?resize=1200,802 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1532px) 100vw, 1532px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Carmelo Hernandez, chief medical officer at San Luis Valley Health in Alamosa, Colorado, specializes in obstetrics and gynecology. He and other hospital leaders wonder if some services, including obstetrics, can survive deep Medicaid cuts.<span class=\"photo-credit\">(Hart Van Denburg\/CPR News)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf we don\u2019t have obstetric services here, then where are they going to go?\u201d said Hernandez, whose specialty is obstetrics and gynecology. \u201cThey\u2019re going to travel an hour and 20 minutes north to Salida to get health care. Or they can travel to Pueblo, another two-hour drive over a mountain pass.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tiffany Martinez, 34, was recently forced to think about that possibility after giving birth to her fourth child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Her pregnancy was high-risk, requiring twice-a-week ultrasounds and stress tests at the hospital. She\u2019s enrolled in Medicaid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEverything down here is low-pay,\u201d Martinez said. \u201cIt\u2019s not like we have money to just be able to pay for the doctor. It\u2019s not like we have money to travel often to go to the doctor. So it\u2019s definitely beneficial.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div\n\tclass=\"wp-block block--newsletter  \"\n\tdata-type=\"kaiser-health-news\/newsletter\"\n\tdata-align=\"center\"\n\tstyle=\"\"\n>\n\t<h4 class=\"newsletter__title\">\n\t\t<a href=\"\/email\/\">\n\t\t\tEmail Sign-Up\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/h4>\n\t<p class=\"newsletter__description\">\n\t\tSubscribe to KFF Health News&#039; free Morning Briefing.\t<\/p>\n\t\n<form\n\taction=\"\/email-signup\/\"\n\tclass=\"kaiser-hubspot-mini-signup-form\"\n\tmethod=\"post\"\n>\n\t<input type=\"hidden\" id=\"kaiser_hubspot_nonce\" name=\"kaiser_hubspot_nonce\" value=\"dc9818bd64\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wp_http_referer\" value=\"\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/2071887\" \/>\t\t\t\t<label\n\t\tclass=\"kaiser-hubspot-mini-signup-form__label--email\"\n\t\tfor=\"kaiser-hubspot-mini-signup-form-email\"\n\t>\n\t\t<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">\n\t\t\tYour Email Address\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<input\n\t\t\tautocomplete=\"email\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"kaiser-hubspot-mini-signup-form__input--email\"\n\t\t\tid=\"kaiser-hubspot-mini-signup-form-email\"\n\t\t\tname=\"kaiser_hubspot_email\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"email\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tplaceholder=\"Your email address\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\/>\n\t<\/label>\n\t<button class=\"kaiser-hubspot-mini-signup-form__submit\">\n\t\tSign Up\t<\/button>\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><a><\/a><strong>Providing Health Care \u2014 And Jobs<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With 750 workers, the health system is the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sanluisvalleyhealth.org\/news\/2024\/december\/konnie-martin-joins-cha-board-as-trustee-in-2025\/\">valley\u2019s largest employer<\/a>. Clint Sowards, a primary care physician, said having less Medicaid funds will make it harder to attract the next generation of doctors, nurses, and other health care workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Certain medical specialties might no longer be available, Sowards said. \u201cPeople will have to leave. They will have to leave the San Luis Valley.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kristina Steinberg is a family medicine physician with <a href=\"https:\/\/valley-widehealth.org\/\">Valley-Wide Health Systems<\/a>, a network of small clinics serving thousands in the region. She said Medicaid covers most nursing home residents in the area. \u201cIf seniors lost access to Medicaid for long-term care, we would lose some nursing homes,\u201d she said. \u201cThey would consolidate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Audrey Reich Loy, a licensed social worker and SLV Health\u2019s director of programs, said the system utilizes Medicaid \u201cas sort of the backbone of our infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt doesn\u2019t just support those that are recipients of Medicaid,\u201d she said. \u201cBut as a result of what it brings to our community, it allows us to ensure that we have sort of a safety net of services that we can then expand upon and provide for the entire community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1257\" height=\"840\" src=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Martin.jpg\" alt=\"A middle aged woman with short-cut blonde hair speaks into a microphone.\" class=\"wp-image-2074304\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Martin.jpg 1257w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Martin.jpg?resize=150,100 150w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Martin.jpg?resize=500,334 500w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Martin.jpg?resize=768,513 768w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Martin.jpg?resize=840,560 840w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Martin.jpg?resize=720,480 720w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Martin.jpg?resize=570,380 570w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Martin.jpg?resize=370,247 370w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Martin.jpg?resize=270,180 270w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Martin.jpg?resize=170,114 170w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Martin.jpg?resize=100,67 100w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Martin.jpg?resize=120,80 120w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Martin.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Martin.jpg?resize=200,134 200w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Martin.jpg?resize=315,211 315w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Martin.jpg?resize=630,421 630w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Martin.jpg?resize=1200,802 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1257px) 100vw, 1257px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Konnie Martin is CEO of San Luis Valley Health in Alamosa.<span class=\"photo-credit\">(Hart Van Denburg\/CPR News)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Seeking More Efficiency<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Republicans in Congress who pushed for the big spending and tax law, which estimates suggest will result in large cuts to Medicaid, say they want to save money and make the government more efficient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many in the Alamosa County region <a href=\"https:\/\/coloradonewsline.com\/2024\/11\/14\/lower-turnout-uneven-red-wave-colorado\/\">voted for Donald Trump.<\/a> \u201cHe\u2019s potentially affecting his voter base pretty dramatically,\u201d Hernandez said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He said Medicaid cuts could give President Trump\u2019s supporters second thoughts, but he noted that politics is a sensitive topic that he mostly doesn\u2019t discuss with patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sowards said he understands that some people believe the Medicaid system is ailing and costly. But he said he has grave doubts about the proposed cure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLosing Medicaid would have drastic repercussions that we can\u2019t foresee,\u201d Sowards said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cuts Would Create Ripple Effect<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>SLV Health\u2019s regional economic impact is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sanluisvalleyhealth.org\/news\/2024\/february\/slv-health-independent-and-unique-slv-health-par\/\">more than $100 million a year<\/a>, with Medicaid accounting for a major part of that, Martin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Any Medicaid cuts would hit the health system hard, but they would also affect small businesses and their employees. The region is feeling economic stress from other changes, like recent cuts the Trump administration made to the federal workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The San Luis Valley is home to the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge, Great Sand Dunes National Park, and other federally managed lands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Joe Martinez, president of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.slvfed.bank\/\">San Luis Valley Federal Bank<\/a>, said that recently laid-off federal workers are already coming to banks saying: \u201c\u2018Can I find a way to get my next two months\u2019 mortgage payments forgiven? Or can we do an extension?\u2019 Or: \u2018I lost my job. What can we do to make sure that I don&#8217;t lose my vehicle?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ty Coleman, <a href=\"https:\/\/cityofalamosa.org\/departments\/city-council\/\">Alamosa\u2019s mayor<\/a>, traveled to Washington, D.C., in April to talk to Colorado\u2019s congressional delegation. He said his message about Medicaid cuts was straightforward: \u201cIt can have a devastating economic impact.\u201d Coleman put together a long list of possible troubles: More chronic disease and higher mortality rates. Longer wait times for care. Medical debt and financial strain on families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not just our rural community but the communities, rural communities, across Colorado as well, and the United States,\u201d Coleman said. \u201cAnd I don\u2019t think people are getting it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This article is from a partnership that includes&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cpr.org\/news\/\"><em>CPR News<\/em><\/a>,&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/\"><em>NPR<\/em><\/a><em>&nbsp;and KFF Health News.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In rural Colorado and across rural America, Medicaid is a lifeline, especially for people who wouldn\u2019t otherwise have easy access to health care. That includes low-income seniors who need supplemental coverage in addition to Medicare, and people of all ages with disabilities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":2074305,"template":"","meta":{"_cr_original_post":"","_cr_replace_post_id":"","_cr_replacing_post_id":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"kff_featured_video":0,"kff_show_featured_video":false,"kff_show_mute_audio_button":false,"custom_shortlink":"\/MjA3MTg4Nw","kaiser_health_news_byline_override":"","kaiser_health_news_can_republish":true,"kaiser_health_news_featured_image_caption":"","kaiser_health_news_header_overlay_color":"","kaiser_health_news_header_theme_slug":"","kaiser_health_news_hero_image":0,"kaiser_health_news_backdrop_padding":115,"kaiser_health_news_hide_partner":false,"kaiser_health_news_kicker":"","kaiser_health_news_kicker_background_color":"","kaiser_health_news_kicker_text_color":"","kaiser_health_news_kicker_url":"","kaiser_health_news_nav_theme_slug":"compact","kaiser_health_news_nav_transparency":false,"kaiser_health_news_sharing_title":"","kaiser_health_news_show_featured_image":true,"kaiser_health_news_subheadline":"","kaiser_health_news_suppress_kicker":false,"kaiser_health_news_suppress_subheadline":false,"kaiser_health_news_update_time":"","kaiser_health_news_vertical_image":0,"kaiser_health_news_title_align_left":false,"kaiser_health_news_custom_header_image":0,"photo_byline":[],"story_update":"","update_position":"bottom","kaiser_syndication_sites":[],"apple_news_api_created_at":"2025-08-13T09:14:31Z","apple_news_api_id":"d7b6cf11-c866-43f1-a98d-d783ef5c4967","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2025-08-19T13:09:25Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAg==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/A17bPEchmQ_GpjdeD71xJZw","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":["https:\/\/news-api.apple.com\/sections\/20265c01-23d7-4d15-96e0-0691b89c3772"],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[178379,12498,140023,439525648,4755,303023210,10314551,31304,36835],"tags":[439524403,102910,180,38746,439530068,439529136,303322937],"primary-topic":[],"partners":[439524320],"funder":[439525513,439528999],"coauthors":[303174015],"class_list":["post-2071887","article","type-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-industry","category-insurance","category-medicaid","category-mountain-states-bureau","category-multimedia","category-public-radio-partnership","category-rural-health","category-states","category-syndicate","tag-audio","tag-childrens-health","tag-colorado","tag-hospitals","tag-medicaid-watch","tag-pregnancy","tag-congress","partners-npr","funder-colorado-health-foundation","funder-helmsley-charitable-trust"],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Medicaid Cuts Could Have Vast Ripple Effects in This Rural Colorado Community - KFF Health News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In rural Colorado and across rural America, Medicaid is a lifeline, especially for people who wouldn\u2019t otherwise have easy access to health care. 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