DENVER, COLO. – Feb. 3, 2025 – Facing unprecedented uncertainty and financial instability in the current federal and state environment, Colorado hospitals and health systems are urging state legislators to take a cautious and considered approach to any new health care legislation this session. The state faces a budget shortfall that approaches a billion dollars, and forthcoming federal policies could dramatically reduce health care funding to the state.

All of this comes at a time when 70 percent of Colorado hospitals operate with small or negative margins, meaning there is limited funding to re-invest in patient care. Hospitals face double-digit increases in costs with stagnant or shrinking reimbursement, especially by Medicare and Medicaid.

“With this amount of uncertainty and financial threat, experimenting with policies that would reduce the resources needed to provide care to Coloradans is a risk we cannot take,” said Jeff Tieman, Colorado Hospital Association president and CEO. “We must avoid further destabilization of our health care ecosystem.”

Currently, through discounts, subsidies, and fees, Colorado hospitals contribute more than $5 billion annually to ensure coverage and improve affordability for Coloradans. 

“We encourage a measured approach rooted in caution to acknowledge the very real political and fiscal moment we are in,” Tieman said. “The hospital community stands ready to engage in discussions around policies that make sense and that would strengthen, not weaken, our safety net. Bills passed this session need to mitigate our risk, not compound it. Mishandling the circumstances we are facing will harm patients, providers, and our state.”

About Colorado Hospital Association

Colorado Hospital Association (CHA) is the leading voice of Colorado’s hospital and health system community. Representing more than 100 member hospitals and health systems throughout the state, CHA serves as a trusted, credible and reliable resource on health issues, hospital data and trends for its members, media, policymakers and the general public. Through CHA, Colorado’s hospitals and health systems work together in their shared commitment to improve health and health care in Colorado. Learn more at www.cha.com.

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