Why This Matters

Proposed budget changes in Colorado could reduce funding for Medicaid and ACA marketplace plans, potentially limiting access to essential mental health services. Many of our clients and community members depend on these programs for therapy, medication, and crisis prevention. These cuts could also impact mental health providers, making it harder to sustain services and support the workforce that delivers care.

Research shows that mental health services help prevent emergency room visits and hospitalizations by providing early and consistent treatment. Limiting access to care doesn’t reduce healthcare costs—it shifts them elsewhere and places a greater burden on individuals and emergency services.

What You Can Do

If you are concerned about these potential changes and want to share your perspective, organizations like the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative recommend calling your legislators. Phone calls and voicemails are one of the most effective ways to make your voice heard.

I had Covid-19 in December of 2020. My partner came down with symptoms, received positive test results, and my physical symptoms emerged a few days later. Sore throat, fever and chills on the first three days, followed by sneezing and a runny nose, all accompanied by a persistent fatigue that could not be alleviated. By the seventh day of my symptoms, all upper respiratory symptoms had subsided, except that I was left without my senses of taste and smell. Once the novelty wore off, I faced the reality of losing 40% of one’s sensory input.

This was the beginning of a new chapter in my experience with Covid-19.

The migration to the online Telehealth platform has made it necessary for practitioners to implement countless policy and procedural changes to the daily functions of operation. From securing HIPAA-compliant document-managing systems and video conferencing, contact-less billing and payment options, to updating WIFI connections and hard-wired Internet, we are seeing the technological capabilities in this field. Online, you don’t have to wear a mask, you don’t have to divulge your body temperature, and we can continue our appointment schedules without limitation.