Colorado Medicaid: some immigrants lose eligibility, kids under 19 stay eligible

A federal law is narrowing which lawfully present immigrants can get Health First Colorado (Colorado Medicaid) and Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+). The changes start in October 2026. Children under 19 and pregnant members stay qualified.

What's changing

The federal law known as H.R. 1 changes which immigrants count as "qualified" for Medicaid and CHP+. The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) explains it on its H.R. 1 Key Changes page, in a section updated October 8, 2026. HCPF says this affects up to 9,288 lawfully present immigrants in Colorado.

The page says:

"Some immigrants who qualified for coverage will no longer be eligible for Medicaid, CHP+ and ACA programs."

That is from HCPF's H.R. 1 Key Changes page. The page lists the timing as October 2026. It does not give an exact day.

These groups stay qualified (all other eligibility rules still apply):

• Children under age 19
• Pregnant women, or women who were pregnant in the last 12 months
• Lawful permanent residents (green card holders) for at least 5 years
• Certain Cuban or Haitian entrants
• Compact of Free Association (COFA) migrants

HCPF lists these groups as no longer eligible:

• Refugees and asylees
• People granted humanitarian parole (HCPF's examples include certain Afghans who aided U.S. military operations and people fleeing violence in Ukraine)
• People granted withholding of removal
• Domestic violence survivors with a pending or approved Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) application
• Trafficking survivors with a pending or approved application for a trafficking visa
• Members of a federally recognized U.S. tribe, and American Indians born in Canada
• Refugees granted "conditional entrant" status before 1980

A second change starts in January 2027. It is about discounts for private insurance bought on the marketplace, called premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions. Starting then, legal immigrants other than lawful permanent residents, COFA migrants, and certain Cuban and Haitian entrants cannot get those discounts. That part is not about Medicaid or CHP+.

Who it affects (and who it doesn't)

This affects lawfully present immigrants in Colorado who are in one of the groups HCPF lists as no longer eligible.

It does not take coverage away from children under 19 or from pregnant members (including women pregnant in the last 12 months), even if they are in one of those groups. For example, a refugee child under 19 stays qualified.

These rules apply person by person. In one family, a parent could lose coverage while the children keep theirs.

Key dates

• October 2026: Medicaid, CHP+ and ACA eligibility changes. HCPF does not give an exact day.
• January 2027: Marketplace discounts narrow for some legal immigrants.

What you can do

1. Do not drop anyone's coverage on your own. Wait for an official written notice.
2. Open every letter from Health First Colorado or your county right away, and keep a copy.
3. Check each person in your home separately. A child and a parent can have different results.
4. If a child under 19 or a pregnant family member gets a notice ending coverage because of immigration status, call and ask about it. Ask about your right to appeal, and look for the appeal deadline on the notice.
5. If an adult in your home gets waiver services and is in one of the groups above, talk to your case manager right away.
6. Immigration categories are technical. A county benefits worker, a benefits navigator or an immigration attorney can help check one person's situation.

Health First Colorado Member Contact Center: 1-800-221-3943. You can also read HCPF's page at hcpf.colorado.gov/hr1-key-changes.