Finding affordable health insurance through Connect for Health Colorado

Are you looking for affordable health insurance? Open enrollment on Connect for Health Colorado, the state’s health insurance marketplace, is available from November 5 to January 15. Individuals and small businesses are able to purchase healthcare plans from private insurers during the open enrollment period.

Many people in Colorado struggle with the extremely high cost of healthcare. In a 2021 survey conducted by the Lieutenant Governor’s Office of Saving People Money on Healthcare, nearly 7 in 10 (69%) patients said they had difficulty paying for out-of-pocket medical costs, and over half (52%) said that they avoided going to the doctor because of the cost. The state of Colorado has several programs that were started in an effort to help Coloradans access more affordable healthcare.

The General Assembly passed a law in 2021 that created Colorado Option healthcare plans. Colorado Option plans are offered by every company that sells health insurance in the state. Each plan must offer a specific set of services at no cost to patients, including preventative care, mental health visits, and prenatal and postnatal care. Costs are standardized across Colorado Option plans to make it easier to know what medical services and prescriptions will cost before going to the doctor. The law requires that Colorado Option monthly premiums must be lowered by 15% by 2025, meaning that this year’s plans should be cheaper than last year’s. The Department of Regulatory Agencies has created a Colorado Option tip sheet, a quick reference guide created to help Coloradans shopping for insurance plans.

Another recent health insurance initiative is OmniSalud, which is a program intended to help undocumented Coloradans access health insurance. OmniSalud provides a safe and private way for Coloradans to search for and compare insurance plans. Applicants are not asked for their immigration status when applying for health insurance, and any information provided during the enrollment process cannot be use for immigration enforcement. Application assistance is available in many different languages.

Colorado’s 2019 reinsurance program also helps lower healthcare costs by paying a portion of high-cost insurance claims. The program is designed to reduce individual healthcare premiums across the state, focusing on areas that have historically had the highest rates. It was immediately successful – according to a report to the legislature, insurance premiums dropped by an average of 20% between 2019 and 2020 for those buying individual healthcare plans. The reinsurance program recently received more than $350 million in federal funding, which will be used to help more Coloradans access affordable health insurance.

For more information about navigating health insurance enrollment on the Connect for Health Colorado online exchange, check out our previous blog post. Connect for Health Colorado is also holding in-person pop-up enrollment events throughout the state. Find one near you using their enrollment event map.