To Our Valued Stakeholders,

We’ve had a nice dose of winter here in Denver this first week of post-Open Enrollment.  We are now shifting gears for Special Enrollment Periods that have helped keep Coloradans covered as their circumstances change throughout the year.

This week, I was invited to the governor’s office with many of our partner stakeholders to witness Governor Polis sign an executive order to create the Office of Saving People Money on Health Care. The Office will be led by Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera and its goal is to study, identify and implement policies that will lower health care costs while ensuring all Coloradans have access to affordable, quality care.

Over the past few days, I also spent time with community leaders from across the state at the 2019 Voices of Rural Colorado Legislative Visit. It’s a good opportunity to understand the various issues our rural communities are facing in more depth. In addition, attendees had a chance to hear from Governor Polis about his vision for rural Colorado.

During Bill Lindsay’s presentation, there was a frank discussion on the rising cost of health care and the solutions that are being explored. As one of our 2017-2020 strategic plan goals is to advocate to improve access to coverage in rural areas of Colorado, I am committed to finding ways to keep Connect for Health Colorado a part of the solution-making process. This was just one opportunity to have a seat at the table to work on solutions together.

In the News

In this statement, Colorado Division of Insurance Commissioner Michael Conway urges insurance companies to work with furloughed federal employees, as well as federal contractors and their workers, by providing assistance and flexibility, especially concerning missed premium payments and possible cancellation of policies.

A recent study published in Health Affairs indicates Medicaid expansion has had an impact in reducing poverty by protecting enrollees from out-of-pocket expenses they otherwise would have struggled to afford.

Stay warm and dry!

Take care,

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

To Our Valued Stakeholders,

It’s a wrap – our sixth Open Enrollment period closed on Tuesday night. We reported on Wednesday that more than 169,000 Coloradans selected health coverage for 2019, an increase of 2 percent over last year’s Open Enrollment period. We will have a full report on this Open Enrollment once the dust settles and we’ve had time to analyze more of our data.

A sincere thank you doesn’t seem like enough. I know many of you worked long hours and supported us through this successful Open Enrollment Period. I am proud to have such a great team to ensure Coloradans have access to coverage, in all 64 counties.

And, of course, our lights stay on through the year to enroll anyone with a “life change event.”

As mentioned last week, we are actively engaged at the state Capitol. We are monitoring several bills that connect to our mission of increasing access, affordability, and choice for individuals and small employers purchasing health insurance in Colorado.

Two early bills of particular interest are House Bill 19-1004, which would take exploratory steps around the creation of a state option for health care coverage, and Senate Bill 19-004  which would develop a pilot program for certain individuals to participate in the group plan offered to state employees. We plan to watch these closely and remain active in discussions about them at the Capitol.

You may also be interested to see our initial draft of our Policy Agenda Principles, which we will continue to refine. These Principles will serve as our framework through which we’ll gauge progress toward improving the wellbeing of our state and our organization.

In the News

An article in the Gazette on our Open Enrollment results took note of the increase enrollments overall, including an 8 percent jump specifically in El Paso county.

Thank you again for being our partner in progressing health coverage in Colorado.

Take care,

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

To Our Valued Stakeholders,

Happy New Year! I hope you’ve all had a great to start to your new year. We’re quite busy around here, as I expect you are too.

We announced earlier this week that rural counties were leading the way in sign-ups through early January. As one of our 2017-2020 Strategic Plan goals is to of improve access to coverage in rural areas of Colorado, we are pleased to see these numbers in these communities.

To keep the momentum through the Jan. 15 finish line, there are enrollment events this weekend in Aurora and Fort Collins, as well as in Canon City and Sterling on Monday and Tuesday. We have extended hours at our Customer Service Center to include assistance this Saturday, as well as regular business hours Monday, and extended hours to 10 p.m. on Tuesday evening.

This morning, I participated in a press conference with Denver Mayor Michael Hancock hosted by Denver Health. There, I reminded small business owners who may not be able to provide traditional employer-sponsored plans that we are able to provide their employees with affordable insurance. We recently launched a Small Business Coverage page on our website specifically aimed at the needs of businesses with 10 or fewer employees. There are no employer contribution requirements.

In the policy world, we look forward to working with the new governor and policymakers on ideas related to making healthcare more affordable for our customers. It has already been a busy legislative session.

Also this week, we submitted our comment to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the Exchange Program Integrity proposed rule. You can read it here.

In the News

I enjoyed the opportunity Monday to sit down for a Facebook Live interview with Brother Jeff, a journalist and organizer in Denver’s Five Points neighborhood. We talked about Open Enrollment, eligibility, Connect for Health Colorado’s mission and a number of topics. You can watch it here.

I am grateful for your efforts and the results we are seeing during this sixth Open Enrollment period. Thanks for your dedication to getting Coloradans covered.

Take care,

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

January 1 plan selections set new sign up record

To Our Valued Stakeholders,

We are happy to see a strong enrollment through our Dec. 15 deadline. We reported on Monday that more than 156,000 Coloradans made plan selections. That number is up 5 percent ahead of signups one year ago. We have increased the number of plan selections for coverage effective in January for five consecutive years. But we’re not finished.

As you all know, Colorado’s Open Enrollment period continues through Jan. 15, 2019. We appreciate your continued hard work helping Coloradans enroll.

As a reminder, our Customer Service Center will be serving customers with adapted hours over the holiday: Dec. 24 open from 8 a.m.– 2p.m., closed Dec. 25; open 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday (Dec. 26-28). The following week, hours include 8 a.m.– 2 p.m. on Dec. 31, closed Jan. 1, then open from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. on weekdays beginning Wednesday, Jan. 2.

We know that last Friday’s ruling from a Texas federal district judge has raised questions about the future of the Affordable Care Act. It’s important to remember that this, the latest of many court challenges, is far from over. The law remains in place while the case moves through the expected appeals. Colorado has also passed state laws that protect those with pre-existing conditions, which are not impacted by this case. You can reassure your customers that their financial help and pre-existing condition protections remain in place.

We also want you to be aware that, in light of the substantial health, financial and social impacts of the proposed Public Charge changes, we submitted public comment on the matter. We asked that the Administration not move forward with any aspect of the proposed changes. Read our full comment here.

In the News

We were happy to see when KREX, a Western Slope news station, shared a story about one of our customers and the positive impact health insurance has had for her family.

Wishing you and your families a happy holiday season. You’ll hear from me again after the New Year begins.

Take care,

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

As the December 15 deadline nears, thanks for staying the course

To Our Valued Stakeholders,

As we announced this week, the pace of plan selections continues to run ahead of previous years, but there are plenty of people yet to act to avoid a gap in coverage. With just more than a week until the December 15 deadline, we know we owe it to many of you for the success of getting Coloradans covered so far.

There is a flurry of activity to make sure people enroll to have Jan. 1 coverage. This weekend, assisters are offering walk-in enrollment events in Aurora, Montrose and Fort Collins. We’re excited to host Get Covered Sunday events in partnership with the Colorado Black Health Collaborative at churches in Aurora and Denver. Our calendar is full of events running through to the end of Open Enrollment.

I was also pleased to host Sen. Rhonda Fields in our office recently for a conversation about why it’s important to get enrolled. Take a look at this video of her helping us get the word out. Her support is having an impact.

We met with our legislative oversight committee this week to update members on our progress this Open Enrollment Period and on our strategic plan. We value the collaboration and partnership we have with this committee.

In the News

We are pleased with the news coverage of our Open Enrollment this week, including this piece in Colorado Sun. I was also featured on Colorado Health Institute’s podcast, the Checkup.

Thank you for your continued hard work and for staying the course this sixth Open Enrollment period.

Take care,

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

To Our Valued Stakeholders,

We are winding up November with the number of 2019 plan selections growing stronger each day. We plan another public release on Monday that will include total submissions for the month through midnight tonight.

You may have noticed we are trying some new and fun things in our social media outreach this year to help drive those numbers up. I would like to share two that we posted this week.

You may recognize some familiar faces of partners around the state in the I’m Here to Help video that we recorded at Building Better Health last month. And you might enjoy my conversation with Graffiti and Davey on the Life is Dope podcast, an opportunity to speak to an audience our traditional channels might not reach and to have a little fun in the process.

In the News

We have talked before about the modest increase in 2019 health insurance premiums in Colorado. The Kaiser Family Foundation provided an analysis of the rates for the lowest plans in three metal tiers. You can find there a breakdown of Colorado by rating area and even county-level data that illustrates the variations around the state you may find interesting.

Take care,

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

December 18, 2017
Contact: Luke Clarke, 720-496-2545

[email protected]

DENVER —  More than 149,000 Coloradans selected healthcare coverage for 2018 through the state health insurance Marketplace through the December 17, 2017, a rate 7 percent ahead of signups one year ago, according to new data released today by Connect for Health Colorado®, mid-way through the Open Enrollment period for 2018 coverage.

“It’s not over, but the first half of this Open Enrollment period has set a solid pace,” said Connect for Health Colorado CEO Kevin Patterson.  “We are still enrolling Coloradans who buy their own health insurance through January 12.  I encourage everyone who does not have coverage yet to go to our site and see if they qualify for financial help. My message is, ‘Don’t leave money on the table.’ We know that too many Coloradans who qualify for help assume that they don’t.”

With nearly four weeks remaining in the current Open Enrollment period, Coloradans have already selected 149,006 medical insurance plans. The total was 139,509 for the comparable period in 2016. Seventeen percent of the medical plan selections are by customers who are new to Connect for Health Colorado and 83 percent are renewing customers.

Consumers enrolling now through January 12, 2018, will get health insurance that takes effect February 1, 2018. After January 12, individuals and families can buy coverage only if they experience a life change event such as such as marriage, divorce, having a child, losing employer-sponsored insurance, or moving to Colorado.

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

To Our Valued Stakeholders

With all the uncertainty in the public policy, many of us did not know what to expect in this Open Enrollment Period. Now, as we approach the midway point, we have reason to be optimistic.

Medical plan selections reached 43,881 in November, a rate that is 29% ahead of the rate in November 2016. You can find more detail in today’s media release.

In the News

Families relying on the Children’s Health Insurance Program, Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) in Colorado, began receiving notices this week that the program will not continue beyond January 31, 2018, unless Congress reauthorizes funding. The program serves more than 75,000 children and 800 pregnant women in our state. We continue to coordinate with the department of Health Care Policy and Financing to move those families to private insurance through Connect for Health Colorado. Although they should continue to use their CHP+ benefits through January, we encourage participants in CHP+ to start researching the options available to them and we have posted information on our site to assist that effort.

Take care,

Kevin

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

To Our Valued Stakeholders

With all the debate on the future of healthcare in this country, there are a few things I would like to make clear about the situation in Colorado:

• On November 1, Connect for Health Colorado will be open for business with 2018 health plans.
• Coloradans who are eligible for financial help through Advance Premium Tax Credits and/or Cost Sharing Reduction will have the same level of help available to them with their 2018 coverage. In fact, net premiums – what the individual pays after the tax credit – will drop an average of 20 percent.
• We have loaded those plans into our system and we are making the final quality assurance checks on our shopping site as you read this message.

In the News

I think everyone is aware of legislation that would restore the Cost Share Reduction reimbursements to health insurance companies. The bill has several provisions that could stabilize the individual health insurance market. The fate of that measure is very much in question, as this Politico article makes clear.

Gov. Hickenlooper and nine other governors from both parties sent a letter to congressional leadership supporting restoration of Cost Share Reduction payments to health insurance companies and stabilizing the individual market.

As the bill is currently written, it contains a provision for health insurance companies to pay rebates if their Cost Share Reduction reimbursements are restored for next year, even as they charge premiums that were raised on the belief the reimbursements would not come. The bill is in the earliest stages of the legislative process and we have all been reminded of the uncertainty of that process this year.

This uncertainty will be with us for a while but my message to Coloradans buying their own coverage remains the same as in previous years: take the time to check the options available to you, check to see what financial assistance might be available to you and choose the health plan that best meets your needs and the needs of your family.

Take care,

Kevin

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

To Our Valued Stakeholders,

It was good to meet with many of you at the Building Better Health conference Monday and Tuesday. We’re always grateful for the chance to meet folks from all around the state who do so much toward our shared mission to expand coverage.

We thank the Colorado Health Foundation for its continuing support of an event that is critical in preparing for Open Enrollment and salute the work that Covering Kids and Family did in organizing the gathering that brought so many valuable resources together.

It seemed appropriate that this year’s conference came close on the heels of the release of the Colorado Health Access Survey, which documents the state’s historic gains in coverage – more than 5 million Coloradans now protected by health insurance. That’s a milestone to be proud of.

In Other News

A few news outlets are reporting today that backers of the bipartisan market stabilization effort in the U.S. Senate are nearing agreement. According to this Politico report, the committee could have a proposal to bring forward as early as next week.

The news comes days after party leaders in the Senate decided they did not have sufficient support for the Graham-Cassidy repeal bill to put it up for a vote.

Authorization for funding the Children’s Health Insurance Program, CHP+ in Colorado, runs out tomorrow (September 30) but Colorado and most other states have some funds available to continue the program in the short term. The good news is that a hearing on re-authorizing is planned on Wednesday in the House Energy and Commerce Committee, according to this account in The Hill.

Take care,

Kevin

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