Special Enrollment Period Gives Thousands of Coloradans More Time to Enroll through Connect for Health Colorado®

Jan. 13, 2016

Contact: Luke Clarke 720-496-2545, [email protected]

DENVER – Connect for Health Colorado® announced today that thousands of Coloradans would have additional time to pick new health insurance coverage for 2016 through a Special Enrollment Period.

Individuals and families who are shopping for new health insurance coverage because their health insurance company is no longer offering health plans in their area – or because they had a policy last year that no longer meets the minimum legal requirements – will be permitted to enroll in new coverage through Feb. 29. This includes individuals and families who purchased their 2015 health insurance on or off Connect for Health Colorado’s site.

“We have worked with the state Division of Insurance and our carrier partners to give Coloradans in these particular circumstances a little more time to enroll in a health plan,” said Kevin Patterson, CEO of Connect for Health Colorado®. “But I want to remind everyone who does not have health insurance provided through their employer to enroll now to provide financial security for their family and to avoid a penalty of $695 or more.”

Those who do not qualify for a Special Enrollment Period must enroll in a health plan by the end of Open Enrollment on Jan. 31, 2016. That is the last chance for most people to buy health insurance this year and avoid a tax penalty that is expected to average nearly $1,000 per household this year.

The Special Enrollment Period, through February 29 is largely offered to individuals who lost certain types of coverage:

  • Those whose 2015 coverage was with the Colorado HealthOP or Access Health Colorado.
  • Those who were Rocky Mountain Health Plans but are no longer in the company’s redrawn service area.
  • Subscribers of “Transition” plans, which do not meet the standards of the Affordable Care Act.

For help with any health insurance enrollment, go to Connectforhealthco.com.

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.  It opened for business on Oct. 1, 2013, for individuals, families and small employers to compare and buy health insurance and is the only place to apply for financial assistance in the form of tax credits to help lower the monthly cost of premiums. Customers can shop online; get help by phone or online chat from Customer Service Center representatives; and access free, in-person assistance from a statewide network of certified Brokers, community-based Health Coverage Guides or Application Counselors. For more information: www.connectforhealthco.com