An exerpt from the Fort Morgan Times, by Dan Barker

Just how the new Affordable Care Act health care reform will impact Colorado, Morgan County and the eastern plains is not certain yet.  Analysts are still trying to figure it all out, said Terri Hurst of the Colorado Rural Health Center, who was reporting to Progressive 15 members at the organization’s annual standing committees meetings last week.

“Nothing’s very defined yet,” said Sally Henry of the Centennial Area Health Education Center, who gave a report along with Hurst for the health and human services committee. What is known is that certain sectors of the public will be added to Medicaid, which will mean an increase in that budget area for Colorado, Hurst said. Colorado already has a $75 million deficit it needs to deal with, and probably more of a deficit to come, she said.

Traditionally, states pay 50 percent of Medicaid, although recently the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus money has meant that Colorado has only paid 40 percent, Hurst said. Unfortunately, that stimulus money expires at the end of December, she said. Since the state made a budget assuming the 40 percent funding level, it may be facing an additional $240 million shortfall with no idea where the money will come from, Hurst said.

To read the complete article, please visit the Fort Morgan Times website.