Connect for Health Colorado® and Colorado Medicaid Report Enrollment Gains

CONTACTS:
Curtis Hubbard, [email protected], 303-908-2378 (Connect for Health Colorado)
Marc Williams, [email protected], 303-866-3144 (Colorado Medicaid)

DENVER, CO – In the first month of Open Enrollment, 136,315 Coloradans enrolled in healthcare coverage for 2015, either in Medicaid, Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) or in commercial health insurance purchased through the state health insurance Marketplace, according to new data released today by Connect for Health Colorado® and the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing.

“These initial sign-ups during this first month were consistent with our projections and culminated with a single-day record of 12,600 enrollments on December 15th,” said Connect for Health Colorado Interim CEO Gary Drews. “It’s also important to remember that it’s not too late for people to purchase health insurance for 2015. Open enrollment continues until February 15th.”

Dec. 15 was the deadline for individuals and families to select plans for coverage to begin on Jan. 1. Connect for Health Colorado will continue working with those who started their application by Dec. 15 to help finish it so they can be covered by the New Year. Customers also have to take the last step to ensure their coverage: make the first payment on time.

Those who want their coverage to take effect by Feb. 1, 2015, have until Jan. 15, 2015 to sign up for commercial health insurance through Connect for Health Colorado. Health plans purchased between Jan. 16, 2015 and the close of open enrollment on Feb. 15, 2015, will go into effect March 1.

Coloradans eligible for no- or low-cost coverage through Medicaid and CHP+ have no deadlines and can apply year-round.

The initial four weeks of open enrollment saw a total of 108,077 enrollments in commercial coverage through Connect for Health Colorado (18,893 new lives covered and 89,184 re-enrollments from 2014) and 27,306 in Medicaid and 932 in CHP+. Connect for Health Colorado also enrolled 18,075 individuals in dental plans.

“Colorado has been recognized as one of the leading states in reducing the uninsured rate and today’s enrollment numbers show how we continue to make progress getting all Coloradans covered,” said Susan Birch, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing. “We are proud of the work our county and community partners are doing to help connect low-income Coloradans to coverage.”

Nov. 15 – Dec. 15
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     View county metrics

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.

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 2014, the Marketplace enrolled more than 148,000 Coloradans in commercial 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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

County level enrollments and other Connect for Health Colorado metrics