Colorado
A state caregiver tax credit, the FAMLI paid family leave program, the Colorado End-of-Life Options Act (medical aid in dying), no state estate tax, and a Medicaid LTC program (Health First Colorado) administered through Single Entry Points.
Colorado is one of the few states with both: a Family Caregiver Tax Credit (CRS §39-22-557 et seq., subject to income caps and statutory schedule) and the FAMLI program (paid family and medical leave administered by the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment), which began benefits in 2024. Caregivers caring for an Colorado parent have meaningfully more state-level support than caregivers in most states.
Colorado abolished its estate tax with the end of the federal pickup credit in 2005 and has never had an inheritance tax. Federal estate-tax exposure begins above ~$13.99M (2025 exemption). For most Colorado families, estate planning is about probate avoidance and incapacity, not tax minimization.
Colorado was the sixth US state to authorize medical aid in dying (Proposition 106, 2016), under CRS §25-48-101 et seq. Eligible terminal patients with prognosis of 6 months or less may request a prescription for life-ending medication, subject to procedural safeguards. The law interacts with advance directives, hospice care, and end-of-life decision-making in distinctive ways.
Medicare in Colorado
Strong MA market in Denver metro, SHIP through Colorado Gerontological Society, snowbird/migrant considerations.
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Medicaid & LTC in Colorado
Health First Colorado, Single Entry Points, HCBS waivers, look-back, estate recovery.
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Care Settings & Costs in CO
Denver/Boulder/Front Range pricing, ALR licensure, CDPHE regulation, mountain-community access.
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Legal & Financial — CO
Uniform Power of Attorney Act, MOST/POLST equivalent, End-of-Life Options Act, probate.
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The Caregiver's Life — CO
FAMLI paid family leave, Family Caregiver Tax Credit, distance caregiving, mountain logistics.
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For when you don’t want to dig
Medicaid agency, Area Agency on Aging, Adult Protective Services, free Medicare counseling, legal aid, official forms, and every statute we cite. All in one page.
OCT 15 → DEC 7
Medicare Annual Enrollment Period
Compare Medicare Advantage and Part D plans. Denver metro has the broadest MA availability; mountain and rural Western Slope communities have thinner networks.
ANNUAL
Colorado FAMLI year
The FAMLI program (paid family and medical leave) operates on a calendar-year basis. Confirm employer contributions and your own leave eligibility.
TAX YEAR
Family Caregiver Tax Credit
The Colorado Family Caregiver Tax Credit (CRS §39-22-557 et seq.) requires documentation of qualifying caregiving expenses; preserve receipts and records throughout the year.
Recent from Colorado
Reviewer to be assigned · May 21
Reviewer to be assigned · May 21
Reviewer to be assigned · May 21
Caregiving rules differ meaningfully across state lines. If you’re weighing where to relocate your parent, these comparisons matter.
How we research Colorado-specific guidance.
Every state page is built from three sources: the state’s own statutes and regulatory filings, federal CMS and SSA documents that apply, and direct input from at least one credentialed reviewer who practices in or is licensed in that state. We re-review every state page quarterly. Colorado was last fully reviewed on May 21, 2026 by Reviewer to be assigned.