Colorado Checkup: May 2026
Eroding ACA Enrollment Portends Higher Insurance Rates
By Julie Appleby
An uptick in people skipping Obamacare premium payments in many states suggests the Affordable Care Act’s rising costs — driven partly by lower subsidies to help people buy plans — are hitting home for 2026 enrollees. The trend adds to voter concerns about affordability ahead of the midterm elections.
FDA Blocked Melanoma Drug as Confusion Reigned Under Makary
By Arthur Allen
A third of patients in a clinical trial had tumors shrink while taking a genetically engineered treatment known as RP1.
Trump Demands Medicaid Data for Deportation. Some States Go a Step Further.
By Andrew Jones
Several states have required their health agencies to take on another job: verifying immigration status among Medicaid recipients and reporting them to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. North Carolina is the latest to pass such a law, and experts expect more to follow.
Efforts To Understand the Nation’s Drugged Driving Problem Stall Under Trump
By Jace DiCola
The data behind alcohol-related traffic deaths is well studied. Less understood is the toll of vehicle deaths involving drugs or a combination of drugs and alcohol. Attempts to fix that have been stymied by federal budget and staffing cuts.
Colorado Charts Its Own Course on Vaccines Amid Federal Pullback
By John Daley, Colorado Public Radio
Doctors, lawmakers, and other advocates are joining forces to promote recommended childhood vaccines.
Cheaper, Alternative Health Plans Are Having a Moment, but Critics Urge Caution
By Sarah Kwon
Congress' decision not to extend enhanced marketplace tax credits has boosted the appeal of alternative health coverage with lower monthly premiums. Consumer advocates dismiss the plans as "junk insurance,” while proponents say patients need alternatives to pricey marketplace options.
Kids Keep Getting Stuck in Hospitals, Even After Being Cleared for Discharge
By Cara Anthony
Some children are healthy enough to leave the hospital after a medical stay but have no place to go. Across the country, the practice of allowing children to remain hospitalized “beyond medical necessity” has become a costly problem, and states have struggled to address the issue.