Substance abuse recovery center in Colorado to lose Medicaid access to treatment

People in substance abuse recovery in Littleton will soon be losing their access to treatment. The president of New Beginnings Recovery Center says they were informed that their contract to serve members with Medicaid is expiring in February 2027. 

The President added that losing access to recovery, housing support, and other services puts people's lives at risk.

New Beginnings Recovery Center has been serving the community for about two decades. The center also has 24 sober living homes through Mary's Hope Sober Homes. New Beginnings has given people like Olivia Flieder a fresh start.

"It's been able to help me dig into my addiction that I was heavily in for many years, and figure out where it leads me," said Flieder.

After spending two years in prison, Flieder got out last year. She's found community at New Beginnings and got back on her feet.

"I feel more accomplished and confident with where I'm at now," said Flieder.

Flieder went through inpatient and outpatient treatment, then to a transitional housing program before moving into the sober home. On her journey to fully integrating back into the community, she also takes classes several times a week.

"Without Medicaid being involved, I wouldn't have been able to come here in the first place, which would have put me at a higher risk of either staying in my addiction, death, or in prison," said Flieder, who is now a resident and house coordinator in a sober home that also falls under the Recovery Center.

However, she's one of many members who will be impacted by the Recovery Center no longer being part of the Colorado Community Health Alliance Network.

"Financially, it's pretty nerve-wracking just because the costs of classes and therapy and everything else I know are so high," said Flieder. "Trying to find all of those resources would not be ideal."

"It's very hurtful because of the fact that we are here to save lives," said Mary Brewer, the President at New Beginnings Recovery Center.

Brewer said in mid-August, New Beginnings received a termination letter from the Colorado Community Health Alliance (CCHA), stating their agreement will be terminated in February 2027. The termination is without cause. 

Brewer showed CBS Colorado the termination letter. In the letter, CCHA stated: "We will work with you to provide continuity of care to impacted CCHA members during the transition in accordance with your provider agreement and appreciate your partnership."

According to CCHA's website, they help administer Medicaid benefits to nearly 280,000 people across Colorado.

"They've taken away people's right to choose where they're going to go to treatment, and there's only a handful of treatment centers in the state of Colorado that will accept Medicaid," said Brewer. "We are one of those, and they're cancelling our contract."

A spokesperson with New Beginnings reached back out to CCHA to get more answers and clarification as to why their agreement was being terminated. In an email shown to CBS Colorado, CCHA responded by saying, "This termination action occurred in the normal course of business as we manage our network of providers," and the termination is not being reconsidered.

"I think that substance abuse should not be part of any cuts from Medicaid at all," said Brewer. "Now we're going to have more deaths at our hands because people are not going to be able to have treatment."

Brewer said they serve nearly 250 people every month at New Beginnings, and over 100 people are currently on a waitlist to get in. Come February next year, she said they will have to turn people away who have Medicaid.

"They are not going to have a place to go," said Brewer.

Flieder is unsure what comes next, but she is sure that she doesn't want to leave Littleton, or the safe space and community she has found at New Beginnings.

"This is a community that I do feel safe in and comfortable, and I know a lot of people around in here, and I know I have support, and I support them as well," said Flieder.

New Beginnings plans to present a petition to CCHA and Medicaid. Find information about New Beginnings online. 

CBS Colorado has reached out to CCHA by phone and email and has not heard back.