This week, Connect for Health Colorado published its annual By the Numbers report, and it is packed with new data and information about the record-breaking open enrollment period for plan year 2025. 

When we take a closer look at this year’s report, there’s so much to celebrate. Here are some of the accomplishments we’re most proud to share. In 2025:

• 296,499 Coloradans enrolled in affordable health coverage.
• 80% of customers received financial assistance to lower monthly premiums and health care costs.
• 3 out of 5 customers could find a plan for $10 per month or less after Advance Premium Tax Credits were applied.
• Nearly 26% of enrolled customers live in rural areas; and, in fact, 12 of the 15 counties experiencing the most significant enrollment growth are located in rural areas. 
• About 66% of all enrollments for plan year 2025 were completed with the help of a health insurance Broker or Assister, and 53% of appointments with Assisters were conducted in a language other than English.
• Our customer service center answered 76,582 calls with an impressive customer satisfaction rate of 87%.

I encourage you to read the full report and explore some of the stories of people whose lives have been improved by our work. These stories are a testament to the critical need we’re meeting for hundreds of thousands of Coloradans.

Our success can be attributed, in part, to our ongoing efforts to educate people about their health insurance options and available financial assistance, as well as to state and federal policies that have expanded access to affordable health coverage.

And equally important to our success is you – our valued and trusted partners.

The work we do together to increase access to affordable, comprehensive, and quality health coverage is truly meaningful. 

I’m incredibly fortunate to collaborate with you and deeply grateful for the care, time, and expertise you invest in improving the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in Colorado – our families, friends, and neighbors.

African Chamber of Commerce Nomination

Two weeks ago, members of our team attended the African Chamber of Commerce’s annual Business Awards Celebration and Fundraiser. Connect for Health Colorado was nominated for an award recognizing our support for Colorado’s Black and African American communities. 

It was such an honor to be nominated for our outreach work and our sponsorship of the chamber’s Women’s Entrepreneurship Program, a 12-week program that helps women develop a well-defined business plan, nurture a strong network of fellow entrepreneurs, and navigate various challenges that come with entrepreneurship. 

We are so proud of the work we’re doing with our partners throughout Colorado and the award nomination was a lovely recognition of how important our work is to the communities we serve. 

Take care,

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

March 23 marked 15 years since the Affordable Care Act, or ACA, was signed into law, transforming access to affordable, comprehensive and quality health care for millions of Americans. 

To celebrate this milestone, I co-authored an opinion column for The Colorado Sun with Michael Conway, the Colorado Insurance Commissioner and chief executive of the Colorado Division of Insurance.

In our column, we share stories from everyday Coloradans who told us how they benefit from the ACA. 

For so many, the ACA creates access to essential health services, including preventive care, mental health treatment and life-saving prescription medications. And for some, it provides something else — a sense of security, comfort, and hope for a healthier future. 

Many of you, our close partners, hear these stories every day, and I am proud to share them with a larger audience. 

Read our column on The Colorado Sun.

The Importance of Protecting Customers’ Financial Help 

In The Colorado Sun column, the Commissioner and I also talk about enhanced tax credits that will expire at the end of 2025 if Congress doesn’t take action. 

Tax credits strengthen the ACA by lowering monthly premiums, which makes health insurance more affordable. 

In fact, in 2025, three out of five customers in Colorado qualified for a health insurance plan for $10 or less per month after tax credits were applied.

Earlier this month, I talked more about the importance of enhanced tax credits in a virtual town hall meeting with Club 20, a coalition of individuals, businesses, tribes and local governments in Colorado’s 22 western counties. 

Insurance premiums are higher for our neighbors in rural Colorado, where enhanced tax credits make a big difference for affordability. For Plan Year 2025, in 47 rural counties, these tax credits reduced monthly premiums by $100 or more. 

Here’s an example I shared during the town hall from one of our certified brokers: A retired couple in Durango aren’t yet eligible for Medicare. Their annual income is $82,000, and they pay $380 a month for their family gold plan through Connect for Health Colorado. If the enhanced tax credits expire at the end of 2025, they will pay more than $2,300 a month for the same plan — and when you factor in their maximum out-of-pocket costs, they could pay more than $45,000 a year for health coverage. That’s more than half of their annual income. 

In fact, without these credits, 77% of people enrolled in health insurance through Connect for Health Colorado will see their financial assistance reduced or eliminated, which means their monthly premiums could increase 50% or more. 

This is why you’ll continue to hear me talk about enhanced tax credits, and it’s why I traveled to Washington, D.C. last week to talk with members of Colorado’s congressional delegation about the consequences for Coloradans if tax credits are reduced. 

Without enhanced tax credits, insurance premiums will increase, and tens of thousands of Coloradans — our friends, families, and neighbors —  will lose health coverage. This would unnecessarily set back the meaningful progress we’ve made over the last 15 years — and Congress must act to ensure that doesn’t happen. 

Take care,

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

Some of you may be feeling anxious, frustrated or overwhelmed – and you’re not alone. Recent federal actions and the subsequent court rulings have left many feeling confused and unsure of what’s to come.  

I want to assure you, despite the uncertainty, these things remain true today:

• The Affordable Care Act is the law of the land, and several state laws continue to guarantee quality, affordable, and comprehensive health insurance for Coloradans.
• At this time, recent developments at the federal level have had no impact on the financial help we provide to our customers.
• Federal cuts to Navigator funding do not affect Connect for Health Colorado’s Assistance Network funding. We continue to honor and fully fund all of our assister contracts.
• We remain committed to protecting our customers’ privacy, regardless of immigration status. Colorado Connect, the secure online platform to enroll in the OmniSalud Program, does not share customers’ personal information with federal partners, and the information included in an application cannot be used for immigration enforcement.

Connect for Health Colorado remains steadfast in our mission to increase access, affordability, and choice for individuals and small employers purchasing health insurance in Colorado – and we couldn’t do this without a robust network of federal, state, and local partners.

Alongside our partners, we’ve built strong foundations so that we can continue to provide the necessary health insurance coverage and financial help for those who need it.

Our partnerships – particularly now in uncertain times – are crucial for maintaining stability. We’re prepared to serve and support our partners in any way possible so, together, we are able to prioritize the health and well-being of every Coloradan.

Connect for Health Colorado will continue to monitor federal, state and local developments, and will provide timely and relevant updates to our partners and customers as necessary.


Colorado Connect 2024 Annual Report
Looking back, in 2024 more than 12,000 people enrolled in coverage on Colorado Connect. This included approximately 9,600 individuals who were eligible for the Silver Enhanced Savings subsidy. 

Through these enrollments, Colorado Connect continues to supplement Connect for Health Colorado’s mission.

Read more about Colorado Connect’s 2024 enrollment in our Colorado Connect annual report.

Take care, 

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

As we draw near to the end of Open Enrollment on January 15 this new year, I want to take a moment to reflect on what this time means to me. As much as we rely on the calendar, Open Enrollment isn’t just about deadlines; it’s about the people we serve. Those individuals and families consistently return to Connect for Health Colorado to protect their health and finances while our tools, staff, and certified Brokers and Assisters carry them to the right plan.

After more than a decade of this work, we continue seeing new records broken. In the first two months of Open Enrollment, the number of Coloradans who enrolled in health insurance plans is already more than the total number of people who enrolled through the Marketplace for last year. That’s thanks in part to the work you do to direct Coloradans needing health insurance to our Marketplace. Thank you!

Contributing to a Community Resource
Connect for Health Colorado partners with hundreds of local organizations and sponsors community events that contribute to our mission of increasing access, affordability, and choice for those purchasing health insurance in the state. One of our partners, the Colorado Black Health Collaborative, recently released the 2024 edition of the Colorado Black Health Resources Directory, and we are proud to partner on this valuable resource.

The Directory is a free compilation of wellness resources carefully assembled by Black Coloradans for Black Coloradans seeking to connect with doctors they feel at ease with. Published since 2010, the directory has become a trusted source of reliable information for seniors, families, and individuals seeking treatment by Black health professionals. It’s so impactful that I recently joined the Colorado Black Health Collaborative to speak with Colorado Public Radio about it and the importance of health equity.

Looking into 2025
Our work doesn’t stop on January 15th. We’ll follow along with the upcoming state legislative session to monitor any changes to the health policy landscape, and we remain committed to serving our customers year-round. Coloradans will come to the marketplace throughout 2025 as they experience life change events that make them eligible to enroll in the middle of the year.

Thank you for being part of the journey. Here’s to a successful Open Enrollment and a year filled with health, happiness, and hope.

Take care, 

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

After an eventful month and a half, I’m impressed with Connect for Health Colorado’s growth. We’re seeing about 20 percent more health insurance enrollments over this time last year, an increase made even more impressive considering the enrollment record we achieved last year. I’m thankful to see that enrollments are outpacing previous years, as we announced last week on Get Covered Day, Dec. 5th.

My greatest thanks goes to you, our valued stakeholders, who diligently work to increase access, affordability, and choice for health care coverage in Colorado. As we face a new year of discussions about it all, real Coloradans are still able to afford to cover themselves and their families thanks to your hard work.

Now’s the Time To Enroll for January Coverage

As you may know, Dec. 15th is the deadline for Coloradans to enroll in a health insurance plan that begins Jan. 1st, 2025. However, Colorado offers flexibility with what we call our “in-line deadlines,” a policy allowing customers who started their plan enrollment or made account changes by Dec. 15th to enroll up to two business days after the deadline.

If you know someone who started, but couldn’t complete their enrollment by Dec. 15, please let them know they have until Tuesday, Dec. 17 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.

In The Community with our Stakeholders

During Open Enrollment, we work hard to make sure our local and state stakeholders know who we are and what we do at Connect for Health Colorado. Most recently, I attended several events to hear from our Colorado counties and cities about the issues most important to them, including the Colorado Counties Incorporated Winter Conference, the Metro Mayor’s Caucus Reception, and the Black Caucus Legislative Preview. It was a great opportunity to talk to county human services directors, county commissioners, and our legislators about how to best serve people in their communities and what health care priorities are expected this legislative session. And just before the holiday, I spent a day in Durango with a health insurance Broker to talk about their business and their Open Enrollment experience so far.

Finally, I enjoyed speaking with Deborah Walker on her Rocky Mountain PBS show “Gospel Train.” We discussed Open Enrollment and the importance of enrolling in health insurance before the upcoming Dec. 15th deadline.       

It’s always a pleasure to put faces to names when I’m out and about in the state, and I’m excited to see what we all accomplish for Coloradans this season.

Take care, 

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

I want to acknowledge the questions about the future of health policy since Tuesday’s election.

We’ve successfully navigated periods of uncertainty like this several times in the past, including eight years ago, and we didn’t do it alone. You, our customers, stakeholders, and partners, make it possible to move forward together.

There are several things that we know.

• The Affordable Care Act is still the law of the land.

• Senate Bill 11-200, the state law that created Connect for Health Colorado, is still the law of the state. There are several other important state laws that ensure quality, affordable, and comprehensive health coverage for Coloradans.

• There are significant savings available to customers who enroll through the Marketplace for Plan Year 2025.

We know this may be a particularly difficult time for immigrant families to navigate. We remain committed to protecting customers’ privacy. For OmniSalud customers enrolling though Colorado Connect, we will not and have never asked for their immigration status. Colorado Connect does not share customers’ personal information with federal partners for any purpose,and the information included in the application cannot be used for immigration enforcement.

We remain steadfast in our commitment to increasing access, affordability, and choice for all Coloradans purchasing health insurance in Colorado.

As we continue getting Coloradans covered during Open Enrollment, we have an opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those who need access to health coverage and who need help getting there.

Thank you for your partnership.

Take care,

Kevin

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

As the leaves change and pumpkins appear on doorsteps, we’re approaching the official start of the annual Open Enrollment Period on November 1st. The Division of Insurance released final rates just last week. Our analysis shows that for plan year 2025, three out of five customers will find a plan for $10 per month or less.

This marks a premium affordability trend we’ve seen in the past few years, made possible by  enhanced financial help provided by the federal government. The enhanced tax credits are set to expire at the end of the 2025 plan year unless Congress takes action to extend this enhanced federal financial help.

Celebrating a Successful Partner Conference

CoverCO, the annual conference we host to prepare our partners for the Open Enrollment Period, was once again a great success. Over 570 people attended, and those included health insurance Brokers, community-based Assisters, and a variety of other community partners. The conference is a critical resource for our partners because it helps get them up to speed on all the changes to health policy and enrollment strategies since the last Open Enrollment Period.

We were especially excited to dedicate an entire day of the conference to the upcoming changes in health coverage for Coloradans who are immigrants. This year we were lucky to welcome two phenomenal keynote speakers: Ana Paula Noguez Mercado, a language justice expert who challenged many of our attendees to experience live translation for the first time, and Zach Mercurio, who reminded us how to find the meaning in our everyday work. 

Leadership Highlight in the Community

I recently spoke with the Colorado Black Chamber of Commerce and was featured in the October edition of their magazine, The Acumen. We talked about what it takes to be a leader, and I shared many of the values I practice in my own leadership at Connect for Health Colorado.  It’s an honor to be recognized for the work that has made our marketplace one of the most innovative in the nation.

We are excited to open our doors next week, and I will continue to share more about this year’s offerings as we kick things off.

Take care, 

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

Preliminary Health Insurance Prices and New Board Member Announcements

To Our Valued Stakeholders,

Last week, members of our Leadership Team attended and participated in NASHP’s State Marketplace Network summer forum in Minneapolis. Our own Chief Product Officer, Kelly Davies, was invited to present a deeper dive into our strategies for helping customers choose and stay enrolled in the right health plan for their needs. It was a pleasure to see friendly faces and to meet new marketplace colleagues. Colorado is one of a handful of states that has been operating its own marketplace since the first Open Enrollment in 2013. As such, it’s our privilege to share our lessons learned and experiences with more recently established state marketplaces.

I like to say, if you’ve experienced one state-based marketplace, you’ve experienced just one state-based marketplace. That is, each SBM plays a unique role in their state, and none of us are set up or serve our residents in the same way. But, regardless of our similarities or differences, it’s affirming to spend time with folks who do this special work. I appreciate the chance to learn how their structure allows them to operate and connect on the challenges we anticipate moving forward. I’m really looking forward to the annual conference this September and keeping these conversations going with our state marketplace partners.

Preliminary Health Insurance Prices Show Modest Increases for 2025
Earlier this week, the Colorado Division of Insurance (DOI) announced that it has completed its initial review of the health insurance plans that the companies have filed for 2025. Their preliminary review indicates that the consumer impact for all individual health plans from all companies will be an average 5.5 percent increase in premiums. While things can change as the DOI conducts its next round of analysis, I’m optimistic to see modest increases proposed for 2025.

On Thursday, July 25, the DOI will hold a virtual stakeholder meeting from 9:30-11:30 a.m. MDT, to share preliminary information regarding health insurance for 2025. You can review key information from the initial plans and register for the stakeholder meeting on the Division of Insurance’s website.

Welcoming Jennifer Brooks to Our Board of Directors
We recently announced that the Colorado House Minority Office has named Jennifer Brooks, an insurance broker, to Connect for Health Colorado’s Board of Directors. As a certified enrollment expert, Jennifer brings a vital customer focus and perspective to our discussions. Her depth of experience with the individual market paired with her dedication to advocating for our customers will contribute greatly to our Board, and I’m very pleased to welcome her to the team.

Take care,

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

Special Enrollment Period Extension

To Our Valued Stakeholders,

Last week, Connect for Health Colorado sponsored, and I attended, Colorado Municipal League’s annual conference. I realize many folks see our marketplace as just a place for people who don’t have health plan options from their job. However, in the past few years, there have been some changes that make it possible for us to offer financial help to families who have been shut out in the past, as well as ICHRAs as an alternative to traditional group health plans. So, I was eager to learn from the people who keep our towns, cities, and counties running and to share a bit more with them about our marketplace.

The conversations give me invaluable perspective on how our state is changing and how we can help solve problems regarding access to affordable health coverage in regions like northern and eastern Colorado, or at least understand them better. Since these discussions, I’ve been thinking deeply about where we can grow our marketplace presence north of metro Denver and how we can better partner with anchor institutions, like hospitals, in rural Colorado. I enjoyed sharing the luncheon with Mead Mayor Colleen Whitlow and some of the Mead Board of Trustees. It was my pleasure to sponsor the event. It was an important place for connection, and I hope to keep learning from local government employees and leaders.

People Losing Medicaid Coverage Have More Time to Enroll in Health Insurance

Earlier this week, the Colorado Division of Insurance (DOI) announced that it has extended the special enrollment window for people who are no longer qualify for Health First Colorado (Colorado’s Medicaid program) coverage due to the end of the Public Health Emergency (PHE). Folks in this situation now have through November 30, 2024 to enroll in health insurance through Connect for Health Colorado. The previous deadline was July 31.

Since last year, we’ve seen nearly 19,000 Coloradans sign up for plans on our Marketplace after losing their Medicaid coverage as a result of the pandemic protections ending. I’m truly grateful we can offer people robust financial help – with the enhanced premium tax credits in place, 3 out of 5 customers can find a plan for $10 per month or less – and an abundance of free, local enrollment assistance.

In light of the special enrollment period extension, I’d appreciate your help sharing outreach materials with your networks as part of the Keep Coloradans Covered campaign.

Take care,

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

Making strides in increasing access and affordability

To Our Valued Stakeholders,

During the last few days in April, I visited Washington D.C. for an event organized by the National Academy for State Health Policy. I was one of 19 directors of state-based marketplaces invited to visit with the White House. We received a strong show of support when we arrived. We met with the Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services, members of the Domestic Policy Council, and leadership from the department that oversees our work: the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO). We also had the opportunity to meet with both the Republican and Democratic committees and leadership staff.

I was honored to share with our federal partners directly how much we appreciated their support for the enhanced premium tax credits as well as the regulatory changes that have increased access and affordability. We also discussed the value of state-based marketplaces, our wins, highlights of Open Enrollment, populations we’re reaching during the Medicaid Unwind, and the health equity initiatives we’re launching. I was pleased to share how Colorado has been on the forefront of using Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRAs) to get folks covered, leveraging ICHRAs with our exchange employees while our brokers use ICHRAs to help get people enrolled in rural counties.

We also shared our concerns. The biggest one being that the enhanced subsidies provided by the federal government are set to go away after Dec. 31, 2025. These enhanced premium tax credits have been in place since 2021 and have made coverage significantly more affordable. For example, this year, with financial help applied, 60 percent of our customers could find a plan for $10 or less per month. I’m doing everything I can to illustrate to our federal partners that if these enhanced subsidies end, people who rely on marketplaces like Connect for Health Colorado to obtain health insurance will be at risk of losing financial help or no longer being able to afford their coverage.

As I departed our nation’s capital, I felt immense gratitude for the opportunity to collaborate with other state-based marketplace directors and our federal partners. While we may see things from our different perspectives, it’s clear we’re aligned in trying to keep as many people covered as possible and being as creative as we can to meet customer needs.

DACA Recipients Will Be Eligible for Marketplace Plans

Last Friday, the Department of Health and Human Services published a final rule that will allow DACA recipients to enroll in a plan through Connect for Health Colorado starting later this fall. This is a really big deal and is an issue we’ve been monitoring for a while.

Currently, we offer health plans and financial help to about 11,000 people in Colorado who are undocumented, including DACA recipients, via the OmniSalud program. This program’s financial help is made possible by our state’s Health Insurance Affordability Enterprise and has been limited. I’m hopeful this change will open some of the limited financial help available in our OmniSalud program this coming year and allow even more people to get covered.

In general, I’m grateful for the strides the Administration has made in improving access and affordability through regulatory changes. And I’m very glad for this latest update that allows DACA recipients to shop on our Marketplace. Staff are already developing our plan to implement this change, and we’ll be ready to help current and new customers navigate their eligibility come fall. This change makes sense for our business, and it upholds our mission to increase access, affordability, and choice for all the people of Colorado in need of health coverage.

Take care,

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

---

In The News

I had the pleasure of speaking with business reporter Analisa Romano of the Denver Business Journal about my career and how it brought me to this role as leader of Colorado’s health insurance exchange. Grab your coffee and read the profile here.

Illustrating the Impact of Financial Help in Colorado

We have provided thousands of Coloradans with increased access to savings thanks to the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2023. The federal laws expanded the amount of assistance people can receive towards their health insurance premium when shopping through an Affordable Care Act health insurance marketplace—like Connect for Health Colorado— through 2025.

Some facts I shared about Colorado with our federal partners…

• Every Open Enrollment since the passage of ARPA and IRA has broken enrollment records- 2024 was our most successful Open Enrollment period in history at over 237,000 people covered. This includes a 41% increase in financially assisted enrollments from 2021.
• Customers aged 55 and older have decreased their net premiums by 73% due to the enhanced subsidies.
• Enhanced subsidies are especially impactful in rural Colorado. Expanded financial assistance led to a 40% enrollment increase between 2021 and 2024 across all rural counties, and on average, a 53% increase to their monthly financial assistance.
• Removing the income limit for financial help eligibility helps middle class Coloradans. 34,000 Coloradans in 2024 are receiving financial help for which they would have been ineligible without removal of the income limit.