This week’s Long Bill Narrative contains some striking news about Medicaid in Colorado.
- More than one Million Coloradans will be on Medicaid (of 5.5 Million residents)
- 9.5% of those 65 & up* will get Medicaid in 2015.
- 19.7% of those under 65 will get Medicaid in 2015
Looking back in time:
- Both categories of recipients were stable in numbers from 2006 through 2008.
- From 2009 through 2013, elderly recipient growth averaged under 1,000 people per year.
- In those same years, non-elderly recipient growth averaged a bit more than 56,000 annually.
- With 2014, growth of recipients ballooned in both groups. Up almost 150,000 annually for non-elderly, up almost 14,000 for elderly.
In the ten years (’06 to ’15) while Colorado’s non-elderly population will have grown 11%, Medicaid recipients of these ages will have ballooned 157%.
By any measure this is a radical increase … with a substantial chunk who are neither kids nor elderly.
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* Most seniors have Medicare. Seniors who also get Medicaid are usually both poor and suffer serious medical conditions.
Sources: In addition to this year’s Long Bill narrative, I consulted Appropriations Reports beginning with 2009-2010 and the State Demographer’s website.
This is good.
More people with health insurance.
Wait until we see the full numbers from the ACA fill in. This number will go upwards even more and soon the State will be on the hook for all the costs of coverage for Medicaid, as provided for in the ACA. This is the ticking time bomb in the future of Colorado's budget.