Tax Time Enrollment       

Even though Open Enrollment has ended for most Coloradans, there are a few opportunities to still get health coverage for the year. If someone has a qualifying life event, they may be eligible for a special enrollment period. And, there are also a few other ways.

The Tax Time Enrollment Period gives uninsured Coloradans another chance to see if they can get coverage either through the Marketplace or through Health First Colorado by checking a box on their tax return before April 18.

Or, if someone was covered through Bright Health or Oscar in 2022 and has not picked another plan yet, they have a Special Enrollment Period through March 1. Our network of enrollment Assisters and Brokers can help.

We encourage every eligible to reach out and get enrolled. Thanks for ensuring that everyone has peace of mind of having health coverage in place for the year.

New Chief Product Officer

I’m delighted to announce a recent promotion to the executive leadership level at Connect for Health Colorado. Kelly Davies has been named Chief Product Officer. Davies has held a variety of roles within Connect for Health Colorado since joining the organization as a project and product manager in February 2015. Most recently, as Director of Product Development, Davies helped lead several critical modernization initiatives such as redesigning the customer-facing application, building new plan shopping decision support tools and upgrading the customer relationship management tool.

Technology Award Nomination

We were recently nominated for Project of the Year for the 22nd Annual APEX Awards. Although we didn’t win the award, it was an honor to share time celebrating the nomination with members of the teams making the Colorado Connect platform successful. I enjoyed connecting with an impressive group of leaders and innovators shining a spotlight on Colorado technology at the event this week.

Take care,

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

Open Enrollment in the Books      

We announced last week that more than 212,000 Coloradans enrolled in a health insurance plan during our Open Enrollment Period. I’m deeply proud that so many Coloradans can have the peace of mind of having health coverage for the year.

While most of the Open Enrollment Period ran smoothly, we have uncovered some errors with the electronic data interchange with our issuer partners that affected both Connect for Health Colorado and the new Colorado Connect customers. We take system and customer service issues very seriously and understand our responsibilities to correct these issues promptly. Our staff has been working around the clock to ensure that these issues are corrected and customers have everything they need to use their coverage.

Thank you to all of you — our stakeholders, policymakers, advocates, media partners, community organizations, Brokers, Assisters — for all the work you did to help us get the word out and get Coloradans enrolled. We know it takes a village.

Bright and Oscar customers have more time

Even though Open Enrollment has ended for most Coloradans, if someone was covered through Bright Health or Oscar in 2022 and has not picked another plan yet, those customers have a Special Enrollment Period through March 1. We don’t want those customers to go without insurance this year, so we encourage them to reach out and get enrolled. Our network of enrollment Assisters and Brokers can help.

Take care,

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

Final Enrollment Deadline Approaching  

Happy new year! I hope all had a peaceful holiday season. It’s been a busy one for us!

Earlier this week, we announced that more than 188,000 Coloradans have enrolled in a plan for this year.

This Open Enrollment Period just has a short time left – our doors are open for anyone still needing insurance for 2023 through January 15.  

If you know of anyone still not covered, please let them know the deadline is near. It’s especially important for customers who were previously covered by Bright Health or Oscar to ensure they find a new plan before January 15 so they have the coverage they need.

Our network of Brokers, Assisters and Enrollment Centers are available to help. There are several enrollment events scheduled this weekend and before Jan. 15 as well.

And as a reminder, the extra savings from the American Rescue Plan available last year have been extended through the next few years making it possible for a customer to find a plan that meets their budget.

Thanks for helping us get the word out about the final days to enroll!

Final Enrollment Deadline Approaching    

Happy new year! I hope all had a peaceful holiday season. It’s been a busy one for us!

Earlier this week, we announced that more than 188,000 Coloradans have enrolled in a plan for this year.

This Open Enrollment Period just has a short time left – our doors are open for anyone still needing insurance for 2023 through January 15.  

If you know of anyone still not covered, please let them know the deadline is near. It’s especially important for customers who were previously covered by Bright Health or Oscar to ensure they find a new plan before January 15 so they have the coverage they need.

Our network of Brokers, Assisters and Enrollment Centers are available to help. There are several enrollment events scheduled this weekend and before Jan. 15 as well.

And as a reminder, the extra savings from the American Rescue Plan available last year have been extended through the next few years making it possible for a customer to find a plan that meets their budget.

Thanks for helping us get the word out about the final days to enroll!

One deadline passed, but our doors are still open!   

As we head into the holiday season, we also just passed the first enrollment deadline of the year. Yesterday was officially the deadline to enroll in coverage that starts January 1, but we remain open through January 15 for coverage that would start February 1.

This enrollment deadline week has been extremely busy for Brokers, Assisters and our Customer Service Center. Because the volume has been so high this week, we want to remind everyone that customers who started their plan enrollment but haven’t finished may still complete it up to two business days after the deadline, which is Monday, Dec. 19. Customers, Brokers and Assisters must contact the Customer Service Center to do so.  

I also want to wrap up the calendar year with a big thank you to you all. Our many enrollment partners and community partners have helped us reach enrollment milestones, while also supporting the roll out of new programs this year, such as Tax Time Enrollment and the OmniSalud Program.

I appreciate everything you do to help us forward our mission of access, affordability and choice for Coloradans. And I wish you and your families a healthy and happy holiday season.

Take care,

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

Deadline is Next Week for January 1 Coverage  

We are just about a week out from the December 15 deadline, the date Coloradans need to purchase a plan in order to be covered on January 1.

To get the word out to as many people as possible, we declared Get Covered Colorado Day this week. Our partners at the Division of Insurance and at Health First Colorado contributed to our efforts and several community members posted messages on social media to help us spread the word.

As a reminder, due to changes in federal law, we’ve been able to provide more Coloradans with even more financial help for health insurance. In fact, 2 out of 3 customers can find a plan for $25 per month or less.  We encourage all customers to review all their options and to compare plans and prices to find the best fit for their families.

And of course, our Brokers, Assisters and Enrollment Centers stand ready to help Coloradans through the process. We’re here to help.

Take care, 

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

Coloradans Are Getting Enrolled!

The calendar has officially moved to December, which means it is crunch time to get Coloradans enrolled in 2023 health coverage. The deadline to enroll for coverage beginning January 1 is December 15.

This week, we announced that we have seen more enrollments to this point than last year, and that is before many customers were automatically renewed yesterday. I’m so pleased that people are getting covered early in the enrollment period and that we’re continuing to see enrollment growth year over year.

And as a reminder, customers who were auto-renewed can still change plans until December 15. We want to make sure customers know that there are several plan options on the Marketplace, and they might be able to find a plan at a lower price if they review all the options. And, if customers want help picking a different plan, our network of Brokers, Assisters and Enrollment Centers are able to help.

Thanks for continuing to help us ensure Coloradans are covered for 2023.

In the News
Several publications around the state have helped us get the word out about Open Enrollment so far. We secured statewide news coverage in the Telluride Daily Planet, the Montrose Press and Steamboat Pilot, as well as a comprehensive write up in the Colorado Sun.

The Denver Post also covered the OmniSalud program.

Take care, 

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

Reminders for Customers to Shop and Compare

It’s time to get enrolled for 2023 health coverage. And this year, it’s important to remind customers that reviewing all the options before selecting a plan may result in even more savings.

This week, I participated in a panel hosted by the Colorado Sun with Division of Insurance Commissioner Mike Conway, Adam Fox from the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative (CCHI) and John Ingold, reporter for the Sun. We had a good conversation about plan options for 2023, and provided Coloradans a guide to shopping and saving on the Marketplace this year.

With the passage of the federal Inflation Reduction Act in August, people shopping with Connect for Health Colorado can qualify for more financial help than in the past, including many people who weren’t previously eligible because of their income. In fact, two out of three current customers can find a plan for $25 per month or less after financial help is applied.

The conversation reminded customers that there are six companies are returning to offer plansfor 2023. And starting this Open Enrollment, every company that sells health insurance in the state must offer Colorado Option plans, and these plans will be available on Connect for Health Colorado. With the departure of Oscar and Bright Health from the market for 2023, it is important customers shop for a plan to ensure they don’t lose coverage and will be able to continue health care.

As always, if customers want guidance enrolling, please lead them to our network of Brokers, Assisters and Enrollment Centers.

In the News
We are getting great traction with Spanish media with this piece in El Comercio, and an interview on Entravision’s Facebook page.

Take care, 

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

Enrollment Assistance Available

We are just under two weeks into this year’s Open Enrollment period for Coloradans to get their health coverage secured for 2023. We are seeing a lot of interest in getting enrolled, but want to remind folks that if they want guidance picking a plan or have questions about enrollment, we can help!

Our network of Brokers, Assisters and Enrollment Centers are available to help customers enroll. These certified experts live all over the state and speak your language. They’ll help customers apply free of charge. You can share a list of in person and virtual enrollment events around the state. We even produced new video ads this hear highlighting enrollment help in English and Spanish.

Thank you for your help getting the word out.

Take care, 

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

It’s Time To Get Enrolled

It’s that time. Open Enrollment has begun! Our doors opened on Tuesday for Coloradans to get enrolled in health coverage for Plan Year 2023.  

Not unlike other years, we are reminding customers to review their options, as they might be able to save money, even with rates increasing statewide.

Residents who qualify for financial help can expect even more assistance to offset rising costs, resulting in modest increases ($20/month on average) to net premiums if they renew into their current plan, and even net premium decreases for many customers in the Western area of the state. Many customers will be able to save money if they enroll in a different plan, rather than renew into their existing coverage. And with the new Colorado Option Plans, there are more plans and easier comparison.

Also new this year, undocumented Coloradans can compare and enroll into health plans and qualify for financial help on Colorado Connect, our new, secure online platform through the OmniSalud program.

We count on your help to get the word out among your networks of all of this year’s offerings. Don’t forget to point them to our network of brokers, assisters and enrollment centers for help enrolling.

In the News
Media outlets across the state are covering the news about Open Enrollment and what customers will pay this year. You can read more in: Axios, the Colorado Sun, Colorado Public Radio and  KKTV in Colorado Springs. 

Loss of a Health Leader

I was saddened to learn of the passing of my dear friend Marguerite Salazar earlier this week. Many of you will remember her time as Colorado’s Insurance Commissioner from 2013-2017. She was an instrumental partner in our organization’s early success and remained a steadfast advocate for the health care needs of all Coloradans, especially those in rural communities. I know I speak for many when I say she will be deeply missed.

Take care, 

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