March 5, 2026 – Denver, CO – Since December, Colorado has made grants totaling $38.8M to 56 safety net health care organizations to sustain access to care in all corners of the state, as a result of the new Provider Stabilization Fund (PSF) established by the bipartisan Senate Bill 25-290. Early reports show these funds are having
tremendous impact sustaining fragile health care infrastructure and preserving access to care in communities
across Colorado.

The Colorado Hospital Association and Rose Community Foundation sent a letter to state lawmakers today highlighting the early success of the Provider Stabilization Fund, a public private partnership designed to provide short-term stabilizing funding to a diverse set of safety net health care providers. The Save Our Safety Net coalition, primary advocates behind Senate Bill 25-290 which established the Fund, offered insight into who is benefiting from the grants and the impact that is being made.

“I am encouraged by how the health care industry has come together to help ensure access to care.
Partnership and collaboration are essential for navigating the challenging environment faced during this time
of unprecedented uncertainty. The bipartisan law SB 25-290, signed by Gov. Polis and sponsored by Senators Mullica and Kirkmeyer and Representatives Bird and Brown, serves as national model for managing challenges on the horizon. We are grateful for partnerships with hospitals, health plans, clinics, policymakers and Rose
Community Foundation” said Jeff Tieman, president and CEO of the Colorado Hospital Association.

Rose Community Foundation, a trusted philanthropic organization with roots in Colorado’s health care industry, created a fund to collect private contributions, building momentum on the state’s investment. The letter to lawmakers reports that, since establishing the fund last summer, Rose Foundation has received $23.9 million in contributions from 23 donors – nearly 60% of a total commitment of $40 million to be raised by July 1, 2027. Contribution amounts have ranged from $2,500 to $5,000,000 and include donations from independent hospitals, major health care systems, health insurance companies and others. In addition to providing their expertise, Rose provided administrative support services for the fund at a reduced cost, maximizing impact of donated funds.

“Rose Community Foundation’s origin story is rooted in health care, so supporting healthy communities is embedded in our DNA,” said Lindy Eichenbaum Lent, President and CEO of Rose Community  Foundation. “The Provider Stabilization Fund is a bold, public-private response that meets our current moment by stabilizing our health care safety net as more Coloradans lose access to Medicaid coverage, supporting a stronger health care system for everyone.”

These private funds are supplementing state investment. In state fiscal year 2025-26, Colorado appropriated $25 million to the Provider Stabilization Fund, which is administered by the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF). The state will continue investing through state fiscal year 2029-30, totaling $90 million over five years. This new fund is already preserving access to care for low income and vulnerable Coloradans.

“The Provider Stabilization Fund has provided significant financial relief to Colorado’s safety net healthcare providers, including Community Health Centers, many of whom are still struggling today from the negative
impacts of the Medicaid unwind that resulted in more than 500,000 Coloradans losing Medicaid coverage,” said Ross Brooks, President and CEO of Colorado Community Health Network, the state association of Community Health Centers. “It has helped to prevent closures of essential clinic locations statewide and has protected access to affordable  health care across rural, frontier, and urban Colorado communities.”

While this is a short-term solution designed to address growing demand for health care services from uninsured Coloradans, many of whom lost Medicaid coverage in the wake of the COVID public health emergency unwind, it is an example of how the system can work together. Collaboration and innovation are necessary to build a sustainable Medicaid system that preserves coverage and access for vulnerable Coloradans.

The health care safety net is facing multiple threats because of state budget shortfalls and federal policy changes impacting Medicaid. Health care leaders believe this effort demonstrates the power of bringing policymakers, industry and community stakeholders together to tackle tough challenges.

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