Connect for Health Colorado® and Colorado Medicaid Report Enrollment Gains

12/1/2015

December 1, 2015

Contacts: Connect for Health Colorado, Luke Clarke, 720-496-2545, [email protected], Health Care Policy and Financing, Marc Williams, 303-866-3144, [email protected]

DENVER — Between Nov.1 and Nov. 29, more than 46,000 Coloradans enrolled in health coverage for 2016, either in private health insurance purchased through the state health insurance Marketplace or in Medicaid, or Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+), according to new data released today by Connect for Health Colorado® and the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing.

“The steady enrollment gains that we have seen during first month of Open Enrollment are very encouraging,” said Connect for Health Colorado® CEO Kevin Patterson.  “But now we have just two short weeks to complete enrollment before December 15 – the deadline for coverage to take effect on January 1. I encourage anyone who has not signed up to do it today. Going to our website to find free, in-person help is a great way to start.”

Whether you are renewing or enrolling for the first time, you must complete enrollment by December 15, to have coverage January 1, and avoid a gap in your coverage. Open Enrollment runs through January 31.

Open Enrollment began November 1.  During the first month, 30,777 people enrolled in private health care coverage through Connect for Health Colorado®. In addition, the coverage gains include 14,599 in Medicaid and 650 in CHP+.

“It’s good to see so many Coloradans enrolling in health coverage for themselves and their families,” said Sue Birch, MBA, BSN, RN,  executive director, Department of Health Care Policy and Financing. “We especially encourage our new members to get preventive care, such as a flu shot.”

Nov. 1-Nov. 30

2016 Coverage Total Medicaid CHP+ Connect for Health Colorado (private health insurance)
Coloradans enrolled

 

 46,026 14,599 650 30,777

Key dates and deadlines for individuals and families buying private coverage

  • Open Enrollment: November 1, 2015 – January 31, 2016.
    • You cannot purchase health insurance after this period unless you have a qualifying life-change event, such as marriage, divorce, having a child, losing your employer-sponsored insurance, or moving to Colorado.
  • Last day to enroll for coverage beginning January 1, 2016, is December 15, 2015. You must pay your first-month’s bill by December 25.
  • Last day to enroll for 2016 coverage (absent a life change event): January 31, 2016.

Medicaid and CHP+ are open to qualifying individuals year-round.

About Connect for Health Colorado
Connect for Health Colorado is a public, non-profit entity established in law by the Colorado General Assembly in 2011 to create a health insurance Marketplace.  It opened for business on Oct. 1, 2013, for individuals, families and small employers to compare and buy health insurance and apply for tax credits to help make their insurance more affordable. Customers can shop online; get help by phone or chat from expert Customer Service Center representatives; and find in-person assistance from certified brokers and agents, community based certified Health Coverage Guides or Certified Application Counselors. In 2015, the Marketplace enrolled more than 150,000 Coloradans in private insurance and helped nearly 100,000 gain access to new tax credits that made their health coverage more affordable – all while keeping fees among the lowest in the country. For more information: www.connectforhealthco.com

About the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing
The Department administers the Medicaid and Child Health Plan Plus programs as well as a variety of other programs for low-income Coloradans who qualify. For more information about the department, please visit Colorado.gov/hcpf.