When Colorado cuts Casey Barrett’s Medicaid reimbursement, the loss doesn’t stay inside his house.
Casey Barrett is a single father in Colorado who shared his story in a May 2026 article for NBC News. He earned his nursing assistant license and built his entire life around caring for his 14-year-old daughter — tube feeding, diaper changes, constant monitoring for seizures and respiratory distress. He logs up to 112 hours a week.
Under Colorado’s Medicaid home-care program, Barrett earns about $162,000 a year. Casey Barrett’s annual Medicaid reimbursement of $162,000 aligns almost exactly with what 445 family caregivers told our Non-Reimbursed Family Caregiver Savings Calculator their work is worth — an average of $162,129 a year at professional market rates.
A new budget approved by lawmakers caps reimbursable hours at 56 per week, which could cut his income by roughly $70,000.
It’s bad enough that those cuts directly impact his ability to support his family.
The cuts spread, moving into his community. He may struggle to pay his mortgage. He buys fewer groceries. He limits how often the family orders take-in for dinner to only emergency situations.
The budget spreadsheet sees a line item cut. The community absorbs something it never budgeted for.
In a community of 100,000 residents, roughly 15,000 may be navigating a caregiving situation at any given time. If each stops spending just $20 a week — that’s $14.4 million lost annually. From one conservative number. In one community.
Casey Barrett isn’t losing $20 a week. He’s losing $92,000 a year in Medicaid reimbursement. That loss doesn’t stay in his household. It moves into Colorado’s economy.
Alongside every family caregiver who steps back, a caree steps back too. Two people. Every caregiving situation. The spending that stops. The participation that ends.
Family caregivers are not a line item.
Their care sustains a local economy.
====
When you calculate your value as a family caregiver, you provide us with the insights that help us effectively advocate for and about you. The calculation takes less than 5 minutes and you’ll leave with your own insights into your worth and a social media card to share. When you share your social media card, be sure to share your story. Calculate your value: https://www.careyearsacademy.com/caregiving-resources/tools/costs/save/
Want to know what it costs your community when family caregivers don’t get the help and support they need — and stop spending within their communities? Calculate the impact here: careyearsacademy.com/caregiving-resources/tools/costs/
====
Resources
- Join me June 12 at 1 p.m. ET (Noon CT, 10 a.m. PT) to gain insights into your strengths and your value as a family caregiver. Register even if you can’t attend live so you’ll receive a link to our recording.
