Written by a parent, not a doctor. Nothing here is medical advice.

Childhood Cancer Lantern
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Colorado program

Free health insurance for your child (Health First Colorado)

Colorado's free Medicaid plan for children under 19. It can sit behind insurance you already have.

What it is

Colorado's free Medicaid plan for children under 19. It can sit behind insurance you already have.

Health First Colorado can cover cancer care even when your child has another plan. The county checks your child's household and current monthly income. A recent change in pay can change that answer.

Eligibility rules
  • Children ages 0 through 18 use one income column. The county decides the child's coverage household under tax-filer, dependent and nonfiler rules; it is not always everyone at the same address.
  • From April 1, 2026, the published monthly child Medicaid base amounts are $1,889 for one person, $2,561 for two, $3,233 for three, $3,905 for four, $4,578 for five and $5,250 for six. The state decides the child’s household and counted income and applies any income disregard before deciding eligibility.
  • The line is about 142% of poverty; a small allowance near the line is already built into how the county compares.
  • Current monthly income is the test. Annual income divided by 12 is only an estimate, particularly after a change in pay.
  • Since January 1, 2025, Cover All Coloradans covers eligible Colorado children regardless of immigration status.
Why families with insurance consider this
  • Your work plan pays first. For covered, properly approved care from an enrolled clinic during active coverage, you generally cannot be billed its deductible, coinsurance or copay, even when Medicaid pays nothing extra.
  • There is no child premium. Coverage also opens the door to rides and assessed nursing help.
  • After Health First Colorado approval, HIBI can review whether paying the work-plan premium saves the state money.
What keeping both involves
  • The hospital, pharmacy and cancer team need both insurance cards and must accept the coverage.
  • Work-plan premiums and the effort of managing two plans still matter. The financial counselor can compare the choices.
What you get
  • No premium or child copays for covered hospital care, chemotherapy, medicines and clinic visits.
  • Rides to covered appointments and nursing at home when separately approved.
  • Coverage for eligible bills from before the application month.
What the coverage includes
  • Cancer care, hospital care and prescriptions are covered benefits. Nursing and travel have their own approval rules.
  • For children under 21, EPSDT covers medically necessary services within federal Medicaid benefit categories. It does not promise every requested service.
  • Worked example (illustrative figures): a covered $5,000 service, your $3,000 deductible unmet and 20% coinsurance on the rest. The work plan pays $1,600 and leaves $3,400 to you. Medicaid allows $1,500, less than what was already paid, so it adds $0, and the clinic still cannot bill you the $3,400.
If you decide to apply
  1. Talk with the hospital financial counselor about whether Health First Colorado fits and what a PEAK application would involve.
  2. Have your Colorado address, your child's identification, current pay records and insurance cards ready.
  3. Ask the counselor to check your child's cancer team and pharmacy against the plan.

PEAK or Health First Colorado: 800-221-3943 · Official page ↗

After you ask
  • Some applications receive an online answer quickly. The usual decision standard is 45 days, or 90 days when a disability determination is needed, with limited exceptions. A delay beyond that standard is something your social worker can help you question.
  • A participating qualified hospital may make a temporary coverage decision. Without a full application by the last day of the following month, temporary coverage ends that day. A timely full application extends it until the agency's eligibility decision. Your social worker can check whether the hospital offers this route.
  • If Medicaid refuses, cuts or stops a service, the notice says how to appeal; you have 60 days. To keep an existing service running while it is decided, ask within 10 days of the notice. The social worker can read the notice with you. (one bullet)
Good to know

Work insurance pays first. For covered, properly approved care from an enrolled clinic, you generally cannot be billed the private cost sharing, even if Medicaid pays nothing extra.

Other details
  • For 2026 applications, a child can receive coverage for up to three eligible calendar months before the application month. Eligibility is checked separately for each month. From January 1, 2027, the child look-back becomes two months.
  • Children generally keep eligibility for 12 months, subject to limited exceptions. The county confirms whether any longer period applies to your young child.
  • The financial counselor can check coverage dates, clinic enrollment and any claimed noncovered-service agreement before you pay a disputed balance.

Federal background: Medicaid coverage and Medicaid as second insurance.

Official sources
Ask your social worker

“Could free state coverage reduce our child's treatment bills, and what would managing it alongside another plan involve? If you recommend applying, could you help us with the household and income questions?”

Why I’m asking: I want to understand how Health First Colorado could cover treatment and what adding another insurer would mean.

More background and detailed requirements
Additional program information and published rules

Who does what

The three parts, side by side. The agency decides; nobody on this page does.

You

File on PEAK, report this month's income and any insurance, and say the child is in cancer treatment.

Your social worker

The oncology social worker or financial counselor helps you file and chases the county for an answer.

The care team

Nothing for ordinary child coverage. Medical records matter for the disability routes.

Who decides
The county human-services office checks income. The state and the regional organization then run the coverage.
Ask your social worker
“Can you help me file the Health First Colorado application today, and tell the county my child is in cancer treatment?”

How to apply

First step: Apply on PEAK at co.gov/peak or call 800-221-3943 this week, and ask the hospital financial counselor to help you file.

  1. Apply on PEAK this week, or call 800-221-3943.
  2. Ask the hospital financial counselor to sit with you while you file.
  3. Check that the hospital and the oncology group take the plan you are given.

Official application / program page ↗

Where it starts: Apply on PEAK at co.gov/peak, or call 800-221-3943. Ask the hospital financial counselor to help the same day.

What to gather

  • Child's birth certificate or identification and Social Security number if they have one
  • Colorado address
  • This month's income for each parent (recent pay stubs)
  • Insurance cards, if any

How long: The usual decision standard is 45 days, or 90 days when a disability determination is needed, with limited documented exceptions.

What a yes looks like

A notice with coverage dates and a regional plan. Check the hospital and the oncology group are in it before you use it.

What a no looks like, and the next move

Read whether the county said no on income, a document or a category. If it is income, ask in the same application about the Children with Disabilities Buy-In Program.

Watch out

  • Do not cancel the work plan to apply. The state says a family can still qualify with employer insurance.
  • Colorado publishes one children's column for ages 0 to 18, so the line does not change as the child gets older.
  • The HCPF April 1, 2026 base amount for six people is $5,250; the county still applies its household, income and disregard rules.

If they say no, quote this: Health First Colorado: "Depending on your income, you can still qualify for Health First Colorado even if you have private health insurance through your employer."

Dates that change this

2026-04-01: The HCPF income chart is effective April 1, 2026. Its six-person child base amount is $5,250; applicable income-disregard rules still matter. (not yet confirmed against the final rule)

2027-01-01: Children applying in 2026 may receive up to three eligible prior months. From January 1, 2027, the child look-back is two eligible months.

2027-01-01: Colorado has announced work requirements for adults from January 1, 2027, with an exemption for caregivers of people with disabilities of any age. This does not apply to a child's coverage.

The numbers and the rules

The arcane layer, kept on purpose. Checked September 11, 2026.

What it is worth

Full Health First Colorado with no premium and no child copays. The published monthly lines are $2,561 for two people, $3,233 for three, $3,905 for four and $4,578 for five.

  • $2,561/month — Published children's line, household of 2
  • $3,233/month — Published children's line, household of 3
  • $3,905/month — Published children's line, household of 4
  • $4,578/month — Published children's line, household of 5

Covers: Hospital and clinic care · Chemotherapy and prescriptions · Medically necessary services within Medicaid benefit categories before age 21 under EPSDT, with the applicable assessment and authorization. · Private Duty Nursing and Home Health after the required assessment, order and approval; these benefits are not limited to children under 21. · Rides to appointments, and meals and lodging for approved travel

Legal protection: Private insurance pays first and Health First Colorado can pay what is left over

What it costs the family: No premium and no copay for a child.

The eligibility facts, as published

Age
under 19 in one published column (ages 0 to 18)
Age max exclusive
19
Income
The county applies the child household and income rules, the 142% FPL base standard and the applicable five-percentage-point disregard.
Insurance status condition
none: a child can have employer insurance and Health First Colorado together, and the private plan pays first
Residency
Colorado; Cover All Coloradans means a child qualifies whatever their immigration status, on the ordinary income and household rules
Retroactive months
Up to three eligible months before applications in 2026; two eligible months for children applying from January 1, 2027.
Processing standard
The usual eligibility-decision standard is 45 days, or 90 days when a disability determination is needed, with limited documented exceptions.

The trap: Do not cancel the work plan to apply. The state says outright that a family can still qualify with employer insurance, and private insurance simply pays first.

Where I read this

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