Hope you all are staying warm in these early January days. Even though we are just a week into 2022, it feels like we are busier than ever.

This week, we shared the news that more than 185,000 Coloradans enrolled in health insurance for this year. That is an 8 percent increase over last year at this time, but, we aren’t done yet. As a reminder, our doors are open through next Saturday, Jan. 15 for residents to get covered for the year.

To that end, we need your help reminding your community, constituents, neighbors and colleagues, that there is about one week left to make sure they have the peace of mind of being covered and having their health and finances protected.

More people than ever before qualify for affordable plans; and if people need help enrolling, our network of brokers, assisters and enrollment centers are standing by available to help. There are also a few enrollment events on the calendar.

I know I speak for so many Coloradans when I say that our hearts are with our friends and neighbors impacted by last week’s tragic Marshall Fire. We are exploring the best way that we can support those impacted, we will share more in the coming days.

Thanks for all that you are doing to help us get Coloradans covered!

Take care, 

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

While Open Enrollment remains our main focus, I wanted to also take a moment before the holidays and say thank you. Wow. It’s hard to believe all that we accomplished in 2021. We worked diligently to ensure as many Coloradans as possible could enroll in health insurance coverage to protect their health and finances during this second year of the pandemic. We kept our doors open for nearly eight months, implemented new financial help rules in the customer application (pursuant to the American Rescue Plan Act) and enrolled more residents in coverage than any previous year of the Exchange’s operation. And we did all of that with the help of our enrollment partners, staff and you. It takes a village.

That said, there is still time for Coloradans to get 2022 coverage. Our doors stay open through January 15, for anyone who needs to get covered. We are seeing many Coloradans get extra savings this year thanks to the American Rescue Plan, so please continue to remind your communities that they can likely find an affordable option.

Lastly, we published a report about the work we are doing to establish our public benefit corporation, Colorado Connect. I look forward to sharing more about its mission in the coming year.

This week, we had a big push to get Coloradans covered by the Dec. 15 deadline. To encourage everyone to get signed up for Jan. 1 coverage, we declared Dec. 8 a day of action, Get Covered Colorado Day. We got the word out through social media posts, asked our stakeholders to join us with messages of their own and hosted a Facebook Live conversation with Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera along with members of our Assistance Network.  There are just a few days left before the deadline, so please remind people to sign up, or use the enrollment help we have available if they want help picking a plan. Our Brokers, Assisters and Enrollment Centers are ready to help, and our Customer Service Center has extended hours through next Wednesday. 

In the News
Several news outlets shared the news about Get Covered Day, from Longmont Leader and KRDO in the Springs to Real Vail and the Aspen Daily News. 

As we prepare for a holiday week ahead, we aren’t slowing down our efforts to get Coloradans enrolled. Both our staff and our enrollment partners are making great strides to help people pick a plan and get covered this Open Enrollment period. It’s important that people in every corner of the state know about the extra savings available, and the importance of getting covered, especially with pandemic at the current levels in our state.  

From Carbondale, Montrose and Ouray to Denver, Estes Park and Aurora, our enrollment partners are hosting both in-person and virtual events across the state. You can point people to our website to find an event for help enrolling.  

Our outreach team also is finding great ways to spend time talking to people at events across the state and strengthening partnerships with community organizations. For example, we are reaching young entrepreneurs in Denver through the Mile High Young Professionals group; focusing on small businesses through partnering with the Small Business Majority, the Southern Colorado Small Business Development Center and the Colorado Black Chamber of Commerce; and talking with the state’s LGBTQIA community through One Colorado, the Big Holigay Bazaar and the Transgender Center of the Rockies.  

At this time of gratitude, I really appreciate all that our staff, partners, Assisters and Brokers are doing to get Coloradans enrolled. Thank you. 

We are off to a good start this Open Enrollment period. I am hearing that our assisters and brokers are keeping busy, and our Customer Service Center has been eagerly taking calls to help customers.

We’d appreciate your help reminding Coloradans about the extra savings that are available this year. Thanks to the American Rescue Plan Act, more Coloradans can find savings through our Marketplace for their 2022 coverage. If customers applied in the past but were denied financial help, this year is the time to reapply. In fact, two out of three customers who applied for financial help in 2021 but didn’t qualify then could receive financial help for their 2022 plan.

I’m proud that we are able to work toward our mission of affordability and choice with the plan offerings this year.

Thanks for all that you do to help us get the work out!

On Monday, we officially opened our doors for Coloradans to enroll in 2022 health coverage.

This year, we can’t state enough that the American Rescue Plan made it more affordable for more people to get covered this year. In fact, four out of five customers can find a plan for $25 or less a month when financial help is applied. And customers who did not qualify in the past should take another look this year, as we anticipate they will see new savings available as well.

If your constituents, neighbors or friends want help enrolling, our certified Connect for Health enrollment experts located throughout Colorado are available to walk people through the process. By talking with a Broker or community-based Enrollment Assister, customers can find the coverage that suits their needs.

Don’t forget that you can find web and print versions of our marketing materials through our Open Enrollment Online Toolkit to help us spread the word.

In the News

The Telluride Daily Planet shared details about Open Enrollment and how people in San Miguel, Ouray and Montrose counties can get help enrolling. I also spoke with Ryan Warner on Colorado Matters about the extra savings and help available this year to get enrolled.

This is it! Open Enrollment is almost officially here. Our doors open on Monday morning to get Coloradans enrolled for 2022 health coverage.

As a reminder, the American Rescue Plan savings and the plan rates this year make finding an affordable plan easier than ever. We are relying on you all, our stakeholders, community partners, policy makers and friends, to help us get the word out. Encourage your communities to use our Quick Cost and Planfinder Tool to see how the plans and savings available. Free, virtual and in-person help is available from our certified Connect for Health Colorado enrollment experts located throughout the state. If anyone in the community you serve needs help, you can refer them to one of our experts to ensure they get the best health insurance coverage and financial help available to them.

We’ve also made it easy for you to share on social media or hand out flyers. Web and print versions of our resources are available through our Open Enrollment Online Toolkit and our Online Print Materials Store (materials are free).

Lastly, tune in to Colorado Public Radio Monday morning to hear my thoughts on about this Open Enrollment Period during the show Colorado Matters.

The Division of Insurance formally released plans and premiums for the 2022 plan year. I shared a statement that I am grateful that Coloradans will see stable and affordable prices over last year. And with the extra savings available this year through the American Rescue Plan, we will ensure Coloradans have access to affordable health coverage.

The same eight companies from 2021 are returning to offer plans for 2022. And many Connect for Health Colorado customers can expect increased plan choice when they shop for 2022 coverage. The health insurance companies’ expansions for 2022 will leave only one county with a single insurance company available— down from 10 counties in 2021, and 22 counties in 2020.

Our staff is finishing all final preparations to open our doors in just over a week, on Monday, Nov. 1. We’ve begun our marketing and advertising, getting the word out to customers to review their options in our Quick Cost and Plan Finder tool, and get ready to enroll by making an appointment with their broker or assister.

And I want to take a moment to thank you all for your support in our efforts as we put the finishing touches on preparations for enrollment season, as it feels like we were just wrapping up our summer special enrollment time.

This was a big week for the health coverage of Coloradans. We had the honor of having CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure travel to the state, as she and Governor Polis announced expanded health coverage benefits for the LGBTQIA community are now included as Essential Health Benefits. This week’s announcement means more Coloradans can rest assured that their essential health needs will be taken care of when they secure coverage through our Marketplace. The Colorado Sun does a nice job of summarizing the new benefits added to the benchmark plan, including gender-affirming services and mental health exams.

After the announcement, I joined Administrator Brooks-Lasure, Gov. Polis and many other state and local policy makers for a Roundtable on Health Equity and Access for LGBTQIA Individuals, where we dove into deeper discussions with stakeholders about the future of equity in health care.

I’m pleased we’ll be able to offer richer essential health benefits and provide more value to our health plans, no matter which plan our customers choose. It’s exciting that Colorado is acting as a leader in the health equity space and paving the way for this important work that other states across the country are now tracking.

Also this week, I attended Pro15’s annual conference. Increasing access and affordability in rural Colorado is a top priority at Connect for Health Colorado, so it’s always nice for me to have time to visit with this group in Northeast Colorado.

As you know, we are in final preparations for our Open Enrollment Period, starting Nov. 1. We will share more details about plans and prices next week and look forward to your help getting the word out and enrolling Coloradans in 2022 health coverage.

Take care, 

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

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