Colorado families and behavioral health providers are pushing back against Gov. Jared Polis' proposed budget cuts, warning the plan could drastically reduce access to autism therapies and other services for children with developmental disabilities.

The governor's budget proposal for the 2026-27 fiscal year includes reductions to Medicaid reimbursement rates, which Polis says are necessary to curb costs that have grown nearly 9% annually. Without changes, he argues, Medicaid spending could "crowd out everything the state does ... no money for roads, no money for public safety."

But families and providers say the cuts would have devastating consequences.

"They're already at a disadvantage," said Katie Gallardo, a Loveland mother of five whose youngest son, Lucas, has autism. "You

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