Blue state GOP lawmakers urge major healthcare change for illegal immigrants

EXCLUSIVE: Colorado legislature Republicans are asking the authorities to halt allowing amerciable immigrants to enroll successful the state’s Medicaid program, Health First Colorado.

The program’s availability to those successful the state illegally who conscionable different requirements for sum started this year, and the Republicans pitched changes successful a missive to Democratic Gov. Jared Polis Wednesday. On Health First Colorado's website, it says, "Don’t fto migration presumption halt you from applying for wellness coverage," citing authorities law. 

"Other Democrat-run states similar California and Minnesota are opening to locomotion backmost their policies that connection escaped and subsidized wellness attraction to amerciable immigrants adjacent without the One Big Beautiful Bill Act being instrumentality due to the fact that they cognize that these policies are expensive, atrocious deals for their Medicaid beneficiaries," the missive from representatives Gabe Evans, Jeff Crank and Lauren Boebert states.

NEW POLL REVEALS MAJORITY OF CALIFORNIANS OPPOSE THIS KEY BENEFIT FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans, R-Colo., speaks astatine a quality league astatine the Republican National Committee aft a gathering of the House Republican Conference March 4, 2025, successful Washington, D.C. (Tierney L. Cross/Getty Images)

"It is disheartening to spot Colorado proceed to treble down and prioritize individuals who are unlawfully contiguous adjacent successful the look of adverse impacts connected Americans who request Medicaid the most, and we impulse you to reverse course," the Republicans added.

As the missive notes, Colorado is 1 of 7 states that connection nationalist healthcare sum that does not origin successful one’s migration status. California, Minnesota and Illinois are making reforms to their Medicaid offerings, according to The Wall Street Journal. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

Minnesota and Illinois are ending the availability arsenic portion of fund deals, and California is navigating antithetic options, similar a imaginable enrollment freeze, arsenic its legislature hashes retired a budget. In California, a caller canvass revealed astir 60% reason Medicaid for amerciable immigrants contempt the instrumentality going into effect past year. 

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT HEALTHCARE COSTS IN BLUE STATE TRIGGERS INTENSE BUDGET DEBATE

Immigrants effort to walk implicit razor ligament aft crossing the borderline into El Paso, Texas from El Paso, Texas.  (John Moore/Getty Images)

The lawmakers added that the reconciliation measure includes a proviso that volition importantly penalize states that supply sum to amerciable immigrants due to the fact that the Medicaid programs person some national and authorities payer dollars.

"There is simply a renewed urgency to revise this argumentation successful airy of the apt enactment of national authorities to trim the Medicaid [Federal Medical Assistance Percentage] for the enlargement colonisation from 90% to 80% for sanctuary states who usage payer dollars to screen amerciable immigrants. As you know, this alteration would airs important budgetary challenges to Colorado – but lone if the authorities continues to prosecute this policy," the missive states.

A spokesperson for Polis’ bureau told Fox News Digital successful a connection that the reconciliation measure successful the U.S. Senate should beryllium wholly redone from the House version.

NEWSOM PROPOSES FREEZE ON ALLOWING ADULT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO JOIN CALIFORNIA'S MEDICAID PROGRAM

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis connected signifier during the Blue Sneaker Ball astatine the Denver Museum of Nature and Science Jan. 5, 2019. (Andy Cross/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

"Governor Polis is disappointed these 3 lawmakers are trying to gut Medicaid and footwear radical disconnected backstage insurance, which would rise security costs for everyone who buys commercialized security due to the fact that of cost-shifting. Thanks to their votes — which they’re trying to distract from — astir 400,000 Coloradans would suffer wellness care, which would besides rise costs for everyone else," the connection said.

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"Governor Polis continues calling connected the Senate to commencement from scratch with this unspeakable bill, including genuinely protecting Medicaid and extending captious subsidies for those who acquisition plans disconnected the wellness speech truthful Coloradans tin spend wellness care."