In southern Colorado’s San Luis Valley, 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.
But amid the stark beauty in one of the state’s most productive agricultural regions, there was a sense of unease among the community’s leaders as Congress debated a budget bill that could radically reshape Medicaid, the government health program for low-income people.
“I’m trying to be worried and optimistic,” said Konnie Martin, CEO of San Luis Valley Health in Alamosa, Colorado, the hub for health care services for 50,000 people in six rural counties.
Martin said Medicaid is vital to rural health care.
“I think in Colorado right now, nearly 70% of rural hospitals are operating in a negative margin,” in the red, Martin said.
The health system’s 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.
The operating margin is razor-thin, so federal cuts to Medicaid could force difficult cuts at SLV. “It will be devastating to us,” Mortensen said.
The region is one of the state’s poorest. In Alamosa County, 2 in 5 residents are enrolled in Health First Colorado, the state’s Medicaid program.
It’s a lifeline, especially for people who wouldn’t otherwise have easy access to health care. That includes low-income seniors who need supplemental coverage …