As a safety net [aka Social welfare services] Medicaid is critical. But as Rep. Gardner states here “Medicaid was never designed to be a standardized, standard-issue insurance policy for everyone” and yet that has happened. Rising costs of Medicaid has resulted in this February 2017 DP article titled "Rising Medicaid costs fuel much of Colorado legislature’s $105 million spending increase" while the budget shortfall is still the large elephant remaining in the room.