Connect for Health Colorado® Reports Increase in 2019 Medical Plan Selections

Contact: Luke Clarke 720-496-2545

DENVER — More than 25,000 Coloradans selected health coverage through Connect for Health Colorado® between Nov. 1 and Nov. 15, a number 13 percent ahead of the pace one year ago, according to new data released today.

“This number of initial sign-ups is the strongest start to an Open Enrollment Period we have seen,” said Connect for Health Colorado® CEO Kevin Patterson. “By acting early, these Coloradans will ensure their health coverage is in place Jan. 1, 2019, protecting their health and their family finances.”

The two-week period saw 25,614 medical plan selections. The total was 22,650 medical plan selections for the comparable period in 2017. Twelve percent of the plan selections are by customers who are new to Connect for Health Colorado and 88 percent are renewing customers.

Connect for Health Colorado opened for business Nov. 1 with rate increases lower than the state has seen in years, a streamlined application process that will save Coloradans time obtaining financial assistance and all seven health insurance companies returning to the individual market in 2019.

“Customers are responding with this early action, but there are still many who qualify for financial assistance and don’t know it,” Patterson said. “I urge anyone in Colorado who buys their own health insurance to check ConnectforHealthCO.com to see what help they can get and to compare their health insurance options side-by-side.”

More than 130,000 Coloradans got help paying for health insurance in 2018. Renewing customers qualifying for financial help will see their net premium – their cost after the Advance Premium Tax Credit – go down 24%, on average, in 2019.

Connect for Health Colorado has introduced a streamlined financial help application that can take roughly half the time to complete as last year’s.

“We are committed to making enrolling in health insurance and getting financial help easier for everyone in our state who buys their own health insurance,” Patterson said.  “This year that financial help was like an 80% discount on health insurance premiums. Too many people assume they make too much to qualify for help.”

Analysis shows that three out of four of Connect for Health Colorado customers who bought their health insurance with financial help will have an option for health insurance with a net premium (after financial help) less than $50 per month in 2019.

Open Enrollment runs from November 1, 2018, to January 15, 2019, but consumers need to enroll by December 15 to have coverage in place by January 1, 2019.