Weekly Joint Meeting of Mayor and Denver City Council - February 24, 2026

This joint meeting of Mayor Mike Johnston and the Denver City Council began with announcements from council members and then focused on a presentation from Denver Human Services (DHS) regarding upcoming Medicaid eligibility changes due to federal legislation (HR 1). The briefing covered the federal timeline, expected enrollment impacts, fiscal and operational challenges, and coordination efforts.

Council Member Announcements

• Councilman Alvidres announced a playback theater improv show featuring immigrant stories on Saturday, February 28 at 1 p.m. at HQ, 60 South Broadway.
• Councilman Gonzalski announced a multi-level government town hall on Saturday, February 28 at 12 p.m. hosted by Representative Cecilia Espanosa for House District 4, with himself, Councilwoman Sandoval, Councilwoman Torres, and school board Director Solchica.
• Councilman Watson announced a community discussion on data centers on the evening of February 24 from 5:30-7 p.m. at Geotech Environmental Equipment, emphasizing that CoreSite will not attend but city partners will. He also announced a Black History Month celebration on Friday, February 27 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Struggle of Love.
• President Pro Tem announced a community input session for the Kennedy Golf Course clubhouse redesign on Thursday from 5:30-7 p.m., and a community open house on March 18 at TJ.
• Councilman Cashman announced an "Academy in the Community" event on April 1 at Cook Park Recreation Center, and the 100th anniversary of Denver South High School on April 11. He expressed support for the data center moratorium, stating Denver is "slow in getting into the discussion" compared to other cities.
• Mayor Johnston thanked council members for partnering on the data center moratorium and expressed interest in being "pro-technology and pro-climate."

Discussion Items

Medicaid Eligibility Changes Presentation

Kay Templeton, Deputy Executive Director for Eligibility at Denver Human Services, and Chief Financial Officer Clint Woodruff presented on federal changes under HR 1, effective January 1, 2027, with phased implementation through 2032.

Key changes:

• Individual-level renewals: Household members aged 19–64 must now redetermine separately, increasing application volume. Example: a 19-year-old in a family of three would submit a standalone application.
• Six-month renewals for expansion population: Redeterminations shift from annual to every six months, increasing workload.
• Work requirements: Adults 19–64 must participate in work, education, or community engagement for 80 hours per month and report it. Previously applied to ages 19–55; now expanded to 55–64.
• Immigrant eligibility restrictions: Only Haitian and Cuban green card holders and U.S. citizens will be eligible for emergency Medicaid; other immigrant populations lose coverage.
• Retroactive coverage limit: Reduced from 90 days to 30 days prior to application.
• Provider tax reductions: Phased from 6% to 3.5% by 2032, costing the state an estimated $2.5 billion in revenue at full implementation.
• Enrollment trends: Medicaid enrollment is already declining from pandemic peaks. Statewide, 100,000–300,000 people are expected to lose eligibility due to HR1 changes, though precise numbers depend on alternative qualifications.

Fiscal and operational impacts:

• The state proposed $17 million in additional county administration funding, primarily for shared services and districting, but this is a cost containment measure rather than cost savings.
• DHS has begun staff training, system updates, and meetings with Arapahoe County, the state, and managed care organizations (HCPF, Colorado Access).
• Shared services being considered include call centers, document scanning, quality assurance, and fraud investigations. Districting proposals include a potential Denver-Arapahoe combined district.
• Federal guidance on detailed implementation rules is still pending, adding uncertainty.

Council Questions and Responses

• Councilman Alvidres asked about the connection between Medicaid and SNAP eligibility (rules differ). He also inquired about plans for people losing care; DHS will start meeting with medical facilities and community partners next week to refer individuals to alternative resources.
• Councilman Hines noted that many people are bumped off Medicaid in January due to system churn, citing his own experience. DHS acknowledged this and will raise it with state and CBMS stakeholders.
• President Pro Tem asked about impacts on multi-generational families and seniors in long-term care. Templeton said exemptions may help but promised to follow up with more details.
• Councilman Parady (late entry) raised concerns about work requirements for unhoused populations and suggested shelter providers could help people meet the 80-hour requirement, creating a beneficial loop for Medicaid billing at shelter sites. He also suggested the mayor could press nonprofit hospital systems to spend community benefits fees on Medicaid enrollment and work requirement support. Templeton was not aware of existing conversations on these points but will explore.
• On staffing, Woodruff said DHS is planning for next year's budget and has done pre-work for SNAP changes; more funds for county administration may offset some workload increases, but concerns remain.
• Council President (Madam President) noted that quarterly updates will be brought to the Government and Intergovernmental Committee starting March 18. Councilwoman Torres has been connecting with city providers to help people meet the 80-hour volunteer requirement, and she urged DHS to add council offices to the list of volunteer hosts.
• Councilman Watson confirmed the work requirement details and noted that DHS has a marketing piece for newsletters; Templeton agreed to refresh and distribute to all council members.
• Mayor Johnston thanked the DHS team and noted that nearly one in three Denverites rely on their services.

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes were taken.
• DHS will continue to meet with community stakeholders (starting next week) and provide updated communication materials to council members.
• Quarterly updates on Medicaid changes will be presented to the Government and Intergovernmental Committee, beginning March 18.
• Council offices will be considered as potential volunteer sites to help constituents meet work requirements.
• DHS will follow up on specific questions regarding seniors in long-term care, unhoused populations, and nonprofit hospital engagement.