Connect for Health Colorado® and Colorado Medicaid Report Enrollment Gains

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

DENVER, CO – Between Nov. 15 and Jan. 15, more than 171,000 Coloradans enrolled in healthcare coverage for 2015, either in Medicaid, Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) or in private 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.

“I want to urge anyone who hasn’t done it yet to take the important step in protecting their families’ health and their financial security by purchasing health insurance coverage,” said Gary Drews, Connect for Health Colorado Interim CEO. “We can help qualifying individuals and families save on the cost of their coverage but only if they act now. There is less than a month left to choose your coverage. Open enrollment ends on February 15th.”

Anyone who does not have health insurance provided through their employer should apply before Feb. 15, 2015, to sign up for private health insurance through Connect for Health Colorado.  Only those experiencing certain life change events – such as losing a job, moving to Colorado, adopting a child or having a child – will be able to enroll in private coverage for 2015 after that date.

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

During the first eight weeks of open enrollment, 121,650 people enrolled in private coverage through Connect for Health Colorado and 47,724 in Medicaid and 2,272 in CHP+.  Connect for Health Colorado also enrolled 20,580 individuals in dental plans.

“The enrollments in Medicaid and Connect for Health Colorado show that Coloradans are attuned to the importance of having health insurance coverage,” said Susan Birch, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing. “Whether Coloradans have health insurance coverage through private insurance or through Medicaid, health coverage is the first step to better health.”

Nov 15 – Jan 15
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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 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.