Colorado House Passes Bill to Fund Medicaid Reimbursements for Planned Parenthood

Strategic Insights -

The Colorado House of Representatives has approved a bill that would use state funds to reimburse Medicaid health care providers, including Planned Parenthood, for services related to reproductive health care. The bill, Senate Bill 25B-2, was passed in a party-line 43-19 vote and will now go to Gov. Jared Polis' desk for his signature. The bill aims to counteract the impact of federal funding cuts, which prohibited Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid reimbursement for certain services.

Key Takeaways:

  • The bill would require the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing to use state funds to reimburse health care providers that are prohibited from receiving federal Medicaid reimbursements.
  • A total of 991 appointments had to be canceled at Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains in the days after the federal law went into effect.
  • The bill's fiscal notes estimate it would cost Colorado a maximum of $4.4 million during the current fiscal year, which began on July 1.
  • Rep. Brandi Bradley, a Littleton Republican, called for lawmakers to vote down the bill, arguing that it would be unfair to spend money on Planned Parenthood due to the state budget gap.
  • Boulder resident Lilly Boyd, who is enrolled in Medicaid, spoke in favor of the bill, stating that her follow-up appointment at Planned Parenthood was canceled in July due to the recent federal law, and she experienced hemorrhaging and had to go to the emergency room.
  • More than 150 Planned Parenthood volunteers and reproductive rights advocates have come to the Capitol to support the bill.
  • The bill's sponsors, including Sen. Jeff Bridges, a Greenwood Village Democrat, argue that Planned Parenthood is an essential and irreplaceable piece of Colorado's primary and reproductive health care system.

Statistics:

  • 991 appointments were canceled at Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains in the days after the federal law was signed.
  • The bill's fiscal notes estimate a maximum cost of $4.4 million during the current fiscal year.
  • 43-19 was the party-line vote by which the bill was passed in the Colorado House of Representatives.
  • More than 150 Planned Parenthood volunteers and reproductive rights advocates have come to the Capitol to support the bill.

Sources:

  • "Colorado joins lawsuit challenging federal defund provision targeting Planned Parenthood" (https://coloradonewsline.com/briefs/colorado-joins-lawsuit-challenging-federal-defund-provision-targeting-planned-parenthood/)
  • Senate Bill 25B-2 (https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2025B/bills/2025b_002_01.pdf)
  • "President Trump Signs the One Big Beautiful Bill Act" (https://coloradonewsline.com/subscribe)
  • "Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains" (https://coloradonewsline.com/donate/?oa_referrer=midstorybox)