The Larimer County Office on Aging is already bracing for the silver tsunami, and now questions about federal Medicaid funding have added another layer of concern for a growing number of seniors.

Republicans in Washington, D.C., are tinkering with a bill to change how the federal government handles Medicaid – one staple in a larger overhaul of the Affordable Care Act. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that the draft bill released in mid-June – it has since been pulled back for further tinkering – would reduce Medicaid spending by $772 billion by 2026 and ultimately cull 15 million people from its rolls.

The Colorado Health Institute, a non-partisan health policy think tank, estimated the hit to Colorado alone could be $15 billion. With the state budget already strained by transportation and education funding needs, and an inflexibility in bringing in more money, it left advocates worried about what the effects might be.

“As you’re aging and you require more health services, I can only imagine the anxiety that people might be feeling,” said Heather O’Hayre, deputy director of Larimer County Human services. “A large number of our seniors are living on a fixed income and if they can’t afford health services – and health is one of the most basic needs for anyone, regardless of their age – and if you’re anticipating cuts to those services, I can only imagine the worry and anxiety that they’re feeling.”

Read more at the Fort Collins Coloradoan.