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]  (Colorado Medicaid)

DENVER, CO – Between Nov. 15 and Nov. 30, 22,487 Coloradans enrolled in health care 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.

“We are happy with these initial sign-ups during our first two weeks of open enrollment,” said Connect for Health Colorado Interim CEO Gary Drews. “However we continue to urge everyone not to procrastinate – this is an important decision. Plans have changed so you should start selecting your 2015 coverage now and avoid the last-minute rush. ”

Those who want their coverage to take effect by January have just 13 days left to sign up for private health insurance through Connect for Health Colorado.  Open enrollment ends Feb. 15, 2015, for private insurance. Enrollment for Medicaid and CHP+ is year-round.

The two-week period saw 9,782 enrollments in private coverage through Connect for Health Colorado and 12,533 in Medicaid and 172 in CHP+.

“Medicaid and CHP+ enrollments over the last few weeks show that we are still finding and enrolling low-income Coloradans into coverage,” said Susan Birch, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing.  “Whether you qualify for Medicaid, CHP+ or purchase insurance through the Marketplace, gaining coverage is the first step to improving overall health and will help Colorado make progress towards becoming the healthiest state in the nation.”

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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.