COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) – The state is planning to put new caps on paid caregiving hours, cutting care per Medicaid member in half.

11 News shared how a Southern Colorado caregiver feels about the changes and also spoke with a provider to hear about the impacts it may face.

Pikes Peak Respite Services provides at-home and community care services to those with developmental delays. CEO Beverly Seemann said it’s not uncommon for the industry to see changes to Medicaid regulations.

The new caps look to reduce how many hours a caregiver can be paid for per Medicaid member, going from 16 hours a day to eight hours a day.

The changes will take effect in the spring or summer, pending federal approval.

Seemann foresees a loss in profit from the changes and plans to hire more staff to continue meeting customers’ needs.

While Seemann isn’t fond of the new caps, she said she understands why it’s happening. The state needs to get its budget under control, and Seemann would rather see Medicaid services reduced rather than become unsustainable.

What Seemann would really like to see, though, is more consistency between state departments regulating her industry.

The Department of Health Care Policy and Financing is leading the charge on these new caps. Seemann said different departments have different regulations, which makes it hard to know if providers are in compliance.

“Agencies and families need some more guidance on this. It’s been a huge challenge trying to navigate multiple systems that are not aligned,” Seemann continued. “You’re in compliance with one system, then you can be out of compliance with another, and it’s incredibly disheartening as a business leader.”

The caps are set to start during a health care worker shortage as well. Seemann said she does see a lack of nurses and certified nursing assistants in some areas across the state.

The CEO added that there’s never a good time for change, so she is working to help her clients through the stress they may be feeling.

The state said that, along with fixing its budget, the new caps will help with caregiver burnout. Seemann said caps won’t necessarily fix caregiver burnout, though, adding that it’s a bigger, systemic issue.

“We see caregiver burnout whether there’s caps or not. We see caregiver burnout due to lack of proper support, and whether that’s because maybe a family doesn’t know about services or maybe there is a shortage in their area, whatever the case may be,” said Seemann.

11 News will continue following the latest on these caps and if the change receives federal approval.

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DENVER — Several Colorado businesses are participating in a nationwide shutdown Friday in protest of ICE operations in Minnesota.

The national strike comes after the deadly shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal agents in Minneapolis.

Denver7 spent the morning outside of one store in Boulder, Trident Booksellers and Cafe. The front door is covered in signs saying the store is closed Friday as they stand in solidarity with Minnesota.

While the shop will be closed, business owners will begin handing out free coffee and having conversations with the community throughout the day.

This is just one of many coffee shops closed Friday as they participate in the shutdown. Our partners at the Denver Post reported nearly 20 restaurants and coffee shops across the Denver area will close for the day.

Denver7 spoke with a clothing shop located on Colfax, Scavenged Goods, also shutting down Friday.

“We can’t operate business as usual when all this is going on, so we have to kind of change that dynamic a little bit by shutting down,” Scavenged Goods Owner Chip Litherland told Denver7.

Litherland said participating in this protest is for the “greater good,” adding it’s important to show up for their neighbors, especially those who can’t right now.

“We care about the people that are being taken from their homes, and we care about not only that, but the protesters that are out on the street fighting all of this going on. So I hope when people come to the door and it’s locked, that they understand why,” Litherland said.

Colorado businesses participate in nationwide shutdown

Litherland also noted that the revenue his business may lose Friday is irrelevant, adding he will do this again if he has to.

“There was a little bit of me I was scared to close and like, okay, are people going to freak out, or is it going to be, you know, tough on my business, because it is one of our biggest days of the week, normally. But this is super important, and I hope they just realize that I’m out here trying to just do the one small thing that we can as a business.”

Several Colorado schools are also closing Friday amid a growing number of student and staff absences in support of the protests.