Legislative session update

To Our Valued Stakeholders,

On Wednesday, we published our annual Open Enrollment report. This year’s By the Numbers report details how improvements to our technology and operations, changes to federal law, innovative state laws, and a statewide network of certified experts contributed to nearly 250,000 Coloradans signing up for a health insurance plan by the end of the Open Enrollment Period.

This year’s Open Enrollment data tells me that Connect for Health Colorado is succeeding in our efforts to expand access, affordability, and choice for Coloradans. We know we’ve still got a way to go, but the report’s findings illustrate that we are moving in the right direction. I’m very proud to look back at our eleventh Open Enrollment and see that we’re breaking our previous year’s enrollment records, increasing efficiencies, improving the customer experience in major ways, and running innovative programs that truly drive affordability and enrollments.

You can find more data about plan selection trends, average costs and savings in your county, Colorado Option plan sign ups, outreach and marketing strategies to reach eligible Coloradans, and more in the By the Numbers Open Enrollment Report for Plan Year 2024.
 
Legislative Session Update
We have just about five weeks left of legislative session, and there arethree bills that our board of directors has taken a support position on. If they become law, here’s how they will impact our customers and work:

• House Bill 1035 would not create any major impacts to our work, but it would streamline the requirements for the official reports that the Communications, Marketing, and Business Intelligence teams produce for the legislature each year. The bill has passed and is awaiting the Governor’s signature.
• Senate Bill 93 would provide continuous health coverage to people with serious medical conditions who are switching between types of coverage. This includes Coloradans transitioning from Medicaid to private health insurance. This bill has also passed and is awaiting the Governor’s signature. Read our support statement here.
• House Bill 1258 would help customers when a health insurance company leaves the market in the middle of a plan year by requiring the customer’s new health insurance company to honor their former accumulator costs, like their deductible and out-of-pocket maximum. This bill is currently in the Senate Appropriations Committee. Read our support statement here.

Take care,

Kevin Patterson, MURP, MPA
Chief Executive Officer
Connect for Health Colorado

To Our Valued Stakeholders,

On Monday, our Board of Directors took a support position for Senate Bill 24-093, Continuity of Health-Care Coverage Change. This bill will ensure that Coloradans who are no longer eligible for Health First Colorado (Colorado’s Medicaid program) or the Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) program can continue treatment for their serious medical conditions for 90 days without fear of out-of-network balance billing. We know that coverage transitions can be a stressful period for people losing Medicaid regardless of health condition, but Coloradans with serious medical conditions and those getting ongoing treatments are in an especially vulnerable situation. I hope this bill can also help provide greater peace of mind for people as they continue critical treatments.

Since the spring of 2023, we’ve seen thousands more Coloradans coming to our Marketplace after losing their Medicaid coverage. You may have heard this described as the “Medicaid unwind,” or the end of COVID-19 pandemic protections that kept Medicaid enrollees continuously enrolled even if they became ineligible. Our enrollment experts continue to be on the front lines of helping these folks, and they’ve relayed the concerns and challenges from customers about continuity of critical care. We applaud the bill sponsors, Senator Michaelson-Jenet and Representative Amabile, and the many stakeholders who worked tirelessly to craft this important legislation.

Read our full statement in support of SB24-093.

Celebrating a Technological Milestone
I’m pleased to share that, this month, Connect for Health Colorado finalized our own fully functional connection with the Federal Data Services Hub (FDSH). This is a milestone in our work to own our technology, and a new level of organizational maturity. FDSH connections are the country’s gateways to accessing federal data. We use an FDSH connection to verify information about our customers, like their identity, household income, and more. This achievement will reduce security risks and make our systems more sustainable, more resilient, and more responsive to compliance requests. This outcome has been years in the making, and I’m very proud of our staff who made it possible.

Take care,

Kevin Patterson, MURP, MPA
Chief Executive Officer
Connect for Health Colorado

Funding Opportunity for Enrollment Assistance

To Our Valued Stakeholders,

I spent the earlier portion of the week in Washington, D.C. to connect with the broker community and some of our federal partners.

I was invited to speak on a panel at NABIP’s national conference about how we’re driving positive change in Colorado. I was pleased to share about innovations we’ve pursued in our state, like the Health Insurance Affordability Enterprise and our public benefit corporation and second shopping platform, Colorado Connect. More specifically, I shared how brokers are a crucial part of our success in implementing federal and state policy changes and how we rely on them more than ever to expertly guide people through expanded financial help and plan options. As we looked closer at our broker support data over the years, we found that, on average, 60 percent of all enrollments have come through brokers– one of the highest rates of broker support in the nation.

While I was there, I also met with federal partners at CCIIO to tell them about the progress we’ve made on compliance projects and shared our strategy for approaching the upcoming compliance work we’re expecting. I’m grateful to have these big picture conversations as we plan our future work in Colorado and as we collaborate with partners to identify the right solutions to meet our shared needs.

Funding Opportunity for Enrollment Assistance
Our partners provide a crucial one-on-one service to help Coloradans get covered. They help us make sure local communities, especially those who face barriers in getting health coverage, can access the plans and savings we offer. Now through April 10, we are requesting applications from organizations to operate Assistance Sites, Certified Application Counselor locations, Enrollment Centers, and Referral Partner locations across the state.

We welcome applications from community-based organizations, medical facilities, associations, ranching and farming organizations, chambers of commerce, unions, state and local human service agencies, certified brokers and broker agencies, and other organizations. We strive to create the most robust, responsive partnership network possible, so please do check out this opportunity, or share it with people in your network who may be interested.

Take care,

Kevin Patterson, MURP, MPA
Chief Executive Officer
Connect for Health Colorado

Reflections on Using Data to Motivate and Guide Our Work

To Our Valued Stakeholders,

Yesterday, the Colorado Health Institute published the 2023 Colorado Health Access Survey.  I always look forward to the survey’s findings to better understand the factors influencing health outcomes in our state. I want to understand how people are doing and reflect on what our organization can be doing to help address persistent gaps in health coverage.

The survey showed the uninsured rate dropped to a historic low of 4.6 percent in 2023. However, with the official public health emergency over and people losing eligibility for Medicaid, we expect that figure to change. One of our areas of focus continues to be helping people transition coverage from Medicaid to our Marketplace. For this coming year, we have prioritized helping these people stay covered through various outreach campaigns, including calls, texts, letters, public service announcements, and community-based outreach. If you want to help raise awareness, please check out the dedicated #KeepCOCovered website page and the resources available.

The survey also found that cost remains the biggest factor in people going uninsured. It shared that some people struggle to find sources to learn about their health care. We know that our Marketplace can help with both of these issues in a major way: we have more financial help for premiums and out-of-pocket costs than ever before, and we offer free enrollment help and education from experts who can walk people through all their health insurance options.

First, these findings underscore to me how important it is that the Health Insurance Affordability Enterprise exists. I’m grateful we have a mechanism to provide extra financial help for our customers above and beyond the federal tax credits and cost-sharing reductions. Over the past three years, tens of thousands of Coloradans have enrolled in plans with extra cost-sharing reductions attached thanks to the Enterprise.

Second, the findings illustrate how we’ve come so far, but we’ve still got a way to go when it comes to people knowing who we are and what we do. I’ve been busy since Open Enrollment ended connecting with leaders of businesses, local governments, and community-based organizations. It’s important to me to stay in tune with people in Colorado communities and remind them of how we help folks learn about their health care coverage in addition to signing them up.

Please note, our Customer Service Center will be closed this Monday, February 19 in observation of President’s Day.

Take care,

Kevin Patterson, MURP, MPA
Chief Executive Officer
Connect for Health Colorado

The close of business Wednesday marked the end of our eleventh Open Enrollment Period and my tenth at the helm of Connect for Health Colorado. I’m genuinely in awe of how far we’ve come as an organization since I came on board, which was shortly after the end of the very first Open Enrollment.

We reported yesterday that 237,107 people have enrolled in a 2024 health insurance plan. That is about 18 percent higher than last year’s end of Open Enrollment total of 201,758 enrollments and is our biggest enrollment period– ever. Also a record high, 77 percent of customers are receiving financial help to reduce premiums. 

Additionally, 12,485 people enrolled in a health insurance plan through Colorado Connect. (As a reminder, that’s our public benefit corporation and online platform we launched last year.) That brings our end of Open Enrollment total across both of our shopping platforms to nearly 250,000 lives covered.

Next, our data teams will be conducting an in-depth analysis of enrollment data. We will publish a report with more information and findings this spring. And while the Open Enrollment Period has closed for 2024 coverage, people can still enroll if they have a qualifying life event.

Connecting with Community Partners & Policymakers

Last Friday, I attended the Martin Luther King Jr. Business Awards luncheon. It was a pleasure to connect with business and community leaders and to sponsor an event that honors exemplary social responsibility. As a reminder, you can request for Connect for Health Colorado to sponsor events in your community. We see sponsorships as a vital piece of our outreach strategy. I know that that, while we’ve made great strides, there’s still plenty of folks who don’t know what “Connect for Health Colorado” is and what we do. So, as we like to say here, we’re about meeting people where they are.

Yesterday, I presented to the SMART Act committee about our organization, our accomplishments this Open Enrollment Period, and our efforts to make it a success. It was my pleasure to speak to and answer questions from the committee. I look forward to strengthening our relationships with these policymakers.

Annual Reports

We recently published the 2023 Annual Report for Connect for Health Colorado and 2023 Annual Report for Colorado Connect.

Take care,

Kevin Patterson, MURP, MPA
Chief Executive Officer
Connect for Health Colorado

Monday, January 15 is the enrollment deadline

The annual Open Enrollment Period can feel like a race toward our deadlines, the last of which is upon us this Monday, January 15. Following the national trend, this enrollment period has been one for the books here in Colorado. We announced last week that, so far, more than 222,000 people have signed up for a health insurance plan, a new record for our Marketplace.

But as I reflect on the nature of our work—our commitment to Coloradans from all backgrounds, the years-long investments to maximize the customer experience, how we’ve continued to break our own enrollment records year over year— I really see it as a marathon. While Open Enrollment ends in just a few days, our work for the year to support our new and returning customers is just beginning.

I want to express my deepest gratitude to our network of community partners and enrollment partners. Many of you have put in countless hours to help people get the affordable, quality health coverage that they need and make this Open Enrollment a success.

Thank you for helping to remind people in your networks of the coming deadline, and all the resources and help we have available.

Reminder

Please note that Connect for Health Colorado’s Customer Service Center will be closed on Monday, January 15 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Customers can still complete their enrollments online or with the assistance of a certified Broker or Assister.

Take care,

Kevin Patterson, MURP, MPA
Chief Executive Officer
Connect for Health Colorado

To Our Valued Stakeholders,

As I reflect on the Open Enrollment Period so far, I am overwhelmed with gratitude and appreciation for the response we’ve seen. Last week, on Get Covered Day, we reported that more than 184,000 people enrolled in a health plan so far. That figure is nearly 30 percent ahead of last year, and, for additional perspective, surpasses the total enrollments we saw by the end of Open Enrollment in 2021. And while we’re seeing large volumes of signups, we’re also seeing our smoothest enrollment year yet. People are getting through the enrollment process with ease online, over the phone, and with their Brokers or Assisters.

I want to express my sincerest thank you to you all, our valued stakeholders, who have worked diligently to increase access, affordability, and choice in health care coverage in Colorado. Because of you, more people can afford to cover themselves and their families and have peace of mind heading into the new year.

Reminder on Enrolling for January Coverage
As you may know, today is the deadline for Coloradans to enroll in a health insurance plan that begins Jan. 1, 2024. However, Colorado offers flexibility—what we call our “in-line extension”— to customers who started their plan enrollments or made changes by today to enroll up to two business days after the deadline. If you know someone who couldn’t complete their enrollment by today, please let them know they have until Tuesday, Dec. 19 at 6 p.m. to enroll, but they must call our Customer Service Center at 855-752-6749 to do so. We’re here to make the process as easy as possible for folks, so don’t hesitate to give us a call.

In the News
Last week, The Colorado Sun hosted a panel discussion with myself, Insurance Commissioner Mike Conway, and certified broker Meagan Fearing all about choosing the plan that’s best for you. You can share this guide for a summary of our tips and advice for this year.

Take care,

Kevin Patterson, MURP, MPA
Chief Executive Officer
Connect for Health Colorado

Thankful for the partners who make this success possible 

This week, we announced that our marketplace enrollments are up 27 percent from last year. Currently, 82 percent of people are qualifying for financial help. While we expect to see enrollment and financial help fluctuations over the next nine weeks, this pace could lead to our biggest enrollment year yet. I attribute this early success to our staff as well as our partners at the Division of Insurance, our network of community partners, and our enrollment partners.   

Thanks to the Division of Insurance and Health Insurance Affordability Enterprise, we were able to provide more people with financial help for our OmniSalud program. This program has been so impactful and become so popular that we ended up filling the maximum allotment of spots for financial help on the second day of Open Enrollment. The Enterprise also allows us to provide more financial help to people on our marketplace in the form of enhanced cost-sharing reductions. This year, people at higher income levels may be able to save thousands of dollars when they go to the doctor or get prescriptions, thanks to this innovative, state-funded program.  

I also want to express my deepest gratitude to our network of community partners and enrollment partners. They have put in countless hours to help Coloradans get the affordable, quality health coverage that they need. They are all an essential part of our marketplace work, and we could not do this without them. 

Help Us Spread the Word 

If you want to share about Open Enrollment with your constituents or community, please use our Open Enrollment Electronic Toolkit. The materials are web-friendly, easily readable, and interactive, and they are available in English and Spanish. 

In the News   

AARP release an in-depth guide on how to sign up for ACA health insurance in Colorado and what’s new for this year. 

Take care,  

Kevin Patterson, MURP, MPA  
Chief Executive Officer  
Connect for Health Colorado 

We are now just weeks away from the start of our next Open Enrollment Period and our staff is wrapping up all final preparations in advance of November 1^st. As we enter Open Enrollment, you should see the result of months of hard work in some important ways. First, you will see us spread the word with a new ad campaign and through social media. We are also adding materials to our collateral toolkit, which I encourage you to use to help us reach customers in your sphere of influence.

This year we also moved all Call Center operations in-house. I am excited that we can call everyone answering phones our colleagues and to serve our customers with this dedicated team. Our representatives are finalizing their training as we speak and will be ready for November 1.

Finally, throughout the past year, we have worked to fine-tune our technology and application system. The teams have done an exceptional job in resolving bugs and implementing proactive measures to ensure our system is ready for Open Enrollment traffic.

CoverCo

Last week we held our annual training conference, CoverCO, where nearly 600 attendees convened to learn critical information for Open Enrollment. Our speakers offered sessions on topics such as post enrollment support for OmniSalud enrollment, how to best assist mixed eligibility households, changes to immigrant health coverage, and hospital discounted care.

I was particularly inspired by my conversation with Jose Antonio Vargas, who shared his story about growing up as an undocumented immigrant in the United States. I was also moved by the story Robert Paylor shared with us, including his tools of resilience while living with quadriplegia.

We are grateful for everyone who joined us for another year of virtual CoverCO, and are thrilled to provide our brokers, assisters, and other stakeholders with the opportunity to learn from so many distinguished speakers.

In the News

I was pleased to see our friends at the Division of Insurance announced a 10% increase in SilverEnhanced Savings spots, which will give us the opportunity to enroll up to 11,000 people with enrollment assistance in the second year of OmniSalud.

Take care,

Kevin Patterson, MURP, MPA
Chief Executive Officer
Connect for Health Colorado