DENVER — In a report released today by Connect for Health Colorado®, nearly 180,000 Coloradans signed up for a health insurance plan by the end of the Open Enrollment Period on Jan. 15 for 2021 coverage. The new report includes more detailed information about changes to premium costs and financial help by county, the improved customer experience and our outreach tactics.
And, since re-opening enrollment for uninsured Coloradans on Feb. 8, an additional 9,971 people have signed up for a health plan. That means Colorado’s Exchange has enrolled more people this year than in any previous year of our operation, and enrollment continues to remain open through at least Aug. 15.
“I’m so pleased by the response we’ve seen to keeping our doors open and knowing that more Coloradans have access to health care this year,” said Chief Executive Officer Kevin Patterson. “I continue to remind people who need coverage to sign up now. We have experts ready to help you and your family navigate your health coverage options.”
Curious about other findings from the enrollment report? We’ve broken down the key takeaways for Coloradans looking for affordable health coverage and considering using Connect for Health Colorado:
- People who use Connect for Health Colorado can qualify for financial help and save money on health insurance costs. On average, people who qualified for financial help for this year are paying $152 per month for their health insurance coverage.
- There’s more health insurance plan choice than ever before. Eight health insurance companies, plus two cooperative alliances, are offering a total of 159 medical plans through our Marketplace.
- There’s a lot of enrollment assistance available, and people are using it to get covered. We have 919 Brokers and Assisters in total across the state helping people enroll this year. 58% of all customers used a Broker to help them enroll and pick the right plan, and 6% of customers went to a community-based Assister for expert application help.
- Using an Enrollment Center increases the likelihood you’ll get the financial help you qualify for. Guided by our plan experts- Brokers and Assisters- in local communities, customers who connected with an Enrollment Center received help at a higher rate (77% statewide, 81% in rural areas) than the overall rate of 69%.
- Coverage for people in rural counties is increasingly affordable. For a second year in a row, the majority of the largest increases in enrollments came from rural counties. Customers receiving financial help in rural counties paid slightly less ($151) for their selected plan premiums than customers receiving financial help in urban counties ($153).
- More people are returning to Colorado’s Exchange to get covered each year. 83% of our customers returned to our Marketplace to find quality, affordable coverage to protect their health and finances this year.
Connect for Health Colorado publishes monthly updates on total medical enrollments, as we continue to enroll Coloradans throughout the year.
Starting this month, more Coloradans will be able to get more financial help than ever before on their health insurance through Connect for Health Colorado as a result of the American Rescue Plan (also known as the COVID relief package).
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About Connect for Health Colorado
Connect for Health Colorado is a public, non-profit entity established by the Colorado General Assembly in 2011 to create a health insurance Marketplace. Since 2013, we’ve been helping individuals, families and small employers compare plans, apply for financial help and buy health insurance. As Colorado’s official health insurance marketplace, we are the only place to apply for financial help to lower the monthly cost of premiums. Customers can shop online; get help by phone or online chat from Customer Service Center representatives; and access expert help from a statewide network of certified Brokers and community-based Assisters. For more information: ConnectforHealthCO.com
Media Contact
Monica Caballeros, [email protected], 720-496-2574
