Kristen had been navigating life on Medicaid for a couple of years after moving off her mom's coverage in her mid-20s. It was a safety net she'd grown accustomed to until a bittersweet twist took her off the program.
"I got a raise," she said.
The pay bump put her above the maximum to qualify for Medicaid, which is 138% of the federal poverty level for adults without children.
"Suddenly, I was without coverage. Just like that, at the end of December,” she said.
The 28-year-old yoga instructor and freelance marketer was on her own. A month passed, and Kristen found herself grappling with a severe cold that settled into her lungs, causing pain. Her parents helped cover the costs of clinic visits. But the fear of needing more extensive treatment or additional consultations loomed over her.
"It was terrifying," she said. "I knew I needed help, but the cost of health insurance was overwhelming."
From 2020 through early 2023, a pandemic emergency rule kept all Medicaid members enrolled, no matter their income. But that policy had expired by the time Kristen got her pay raise.
Now, she’s one of thousands of Coloradans who have lost Medicaid eligibility. Her story illustrates why the Colorado Health Access Survey’s coverage data is likely out of date already. Between May and December 2023 Colorado Medicaid enrollment dropped by more than 300,000 people. Those people have either found other coverage or are uninsured.