health
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Broomfield High School keeps 26 students out after confirmed measles case
After state officials confirmed a measles case last week at Broomfield High School, 26 students are not allowed to attend class, the district said Monday. On Friday, school officials requested students who are not vaccinated against measles to not attend class. “In order to attend school, you must present proof of measles immunity,” Broomfield High…
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As measles cases rise nationally, Colorado braces for imported infections
Colorado has had just one measles case this year, but that doesn’t mean Dr. Michelle Barron sleeps well at night. With spring break around the corner, Barron worries out-of-state travelers will bring more than their luggage to the Centennial State. “My big worry right now is DIA (Denver International Airport), said Barron, senior medical director…
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Colorado Medicaid spending doubled over the past decade, study finds
Spending by Colorado’s Department of Health Care Policy and Financing reached $16 billion in 2025 — a 101% increase from 2015 — while Medicaid enrollment has returned to nearly its 2015 level, according to an analysis by a think tank. Pointing to 182 health care bills Colorado lawmakers enacted since 2019, the report from the…
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ACA enrollment in Colorado sees slight dip amid rising costs
Despite handwringing over enhanced federal subsidies going away for many Coloradans enrolled in health insurance on the state’s marketplace, officials reported Friday just a 2% enrollment dip. More than 277,000 Coloradans enrolled in health insurance through the Affordable Care Act — colloquially known as “Obamacare.” The decline followed five years of consecutive growth, state officials…
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Report: 57 Colorado counties don’t meet herd immunity threshold for measles
Colorado measles vaccination rates are falling behind other states, leading to a lower herd immunity among children. A recent data analysis by The Washington Post found that Colorado has an 88% herd immunity status regarding the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine between 2023 and 2024 — well below the 95% threshold set by doctors across the country. Ultimately,…
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Judge denies AstraZeneca’s bid to block Colorado drug discount law
A Colorado district court judge denied drug manufacturer AstraZeneca’s request for an injunction to block enforcement of a recent law barring drug manufacturers from imposing restrictions on covered entities to obtain drugs under a federal discount program. The law states that manufacturers and others may not directly or indirectly deny, restrict or limit the acquisition…
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Trump unveils deal to expand coverage and lower costs on obesity drugs
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump unveiled a deal Thursday with drugmakers Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to expand coverage and reduce prices for the popular obesity treatments Zepbound and Wegovy. Known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, the drugs have soared in popularity in recent years but patient access has been a consistent problem because of their…
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Colorado health officials unveil plan to soften impact of federal cuts to Medicaid
Colorado’s health officials on Tuesday unveiled a plan to tackle changes to Medicaid outlined in a Congressional budget — with the goal of avoiding “draconian” cuts to the health program. Ultimately, a big part of that strategy is to reduce the demand for Medicaid in the long term, officials said. Signed into law on July…
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Children’s Hospital Colorado seeks congressional help on funding cuts
Undeterred by a federal court judge’s ruling in April that rejected a legal challenge to a Defense Health Agency regulatory change reducing its TRICARE insurance reimbursements, Children’s Hospital Colorado is appealing to state and Congressional lawmakers for assistance. “We have secured bipartisan support among members of Congress, and while passing federal legislation is never easy,…
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Top health concerns in El Paso County: drug overdoses, suicides, access to health care, stable housing
In taking the temperature of El Paso County to determine the overall health of more than 744,200 residents, four areas of concern stand out in the 2023 Community Health Assessment, released Monday by the county public health department. Eliminating barriers to accessing physical and mental health care, preventing drug overdoses, increasing housing stability and decreasing…