DENVER— Today, Connect for Health Colorado, the state’s official health insurance marketplace, released its annual Open Enrollment report. This year’s By the Numbers report details how 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. The report also includes charts and interactive county maps showing enrollments, plan prices, and financial help by county.
Making Health Insurance More Affordable and Accessible
The enhanced financial help available via the Inflation Reduction Act kept the cost of staying covered under control. This year, 3 out of 5 customers could find a plan for $10 per month or less after Advance Premium Tax Credits were applied.
Additionally, Colorado’s Health Insurance Affordability Enterprise provided enhanced cost-sharing reductions to people shopping on the Marketplace. This year, the Enterprise expanded the eligibility criteria so that more people could receive the highest level of cost-sharing reductions. As a result, the number of people receiving these benefits doubled from last year.
One of Connect for Health Colorado’s strategic goals is to advocate to improve access to coverage in rural areas of Colorado. Staying with a five-year trend, the majority of the largest increases in enrollments came from rural counties. However, urban counties like El Paso also saw an increase in enrollments as high as 25 percent over last year.
The Impact of Expert Assistance
Health insurance Brokers and community-based Assisters are experts at helping customers understand and navigate their health insurance. This Open Enrollment, 61 percent of customers signed up with the help of a Broker, and more than 7,000 customers were enrolled with the help of an Assister. Additionally, our Assisters had over 4,500 conversations related to health insurance literacy where they explained insurance terms, helped estimate health care-related costs, and discussed how to avoid delaying care.
Connect for Health Colorado also provides enrollment help at 51 Enrollment Centers across the state. The local Brokers and Assisters staffing these locations build their businesses to meet the needs of residents, making each Enrollment Center a reflection of its community. This year, 22 percent of all Marketplace customers enrolled in a plan at an Enrollment Center, and 84 percent of customers who enrolled at one received financial help.
“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,” said Chief Executive Officer, Kevin Patterson. “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.”
Find more data about plan selection trends, average costs and savings by county, Colorado Option plans, outreach and marketing strategies to reach eligible Coloradans, and more in the By the Numbers End of Open Enrollment Report for Plan Year 2024.
Opportunities to Enroll Now
People can enroll in health insurance now if they have a qualifying life event, such as losing Health First Colorado (Colorado’s Medicaid program) coverage, losing health insurance from a job, and certain household changes.
Free help is available year-round from certified Brokers and community-based Assisters. Contact Connect for Health Colorado at ConnectforHealthCO.com or by calling 855-752-6749 to apply for health insurance during a Special Enrollment Period and to find local enrollment assistance.
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Media Contact
Mónica Caballeros, Connect for Health Colorado, [email protected], 720-576-7995
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. Since 2013, we’ve been helping individuals, families and small employers compare plans, apply for financial help and buy health insurance. As Colorado’s official health insurance marketplace, we are the only place to apply for financial help to lower the monthly cost of premiums. Customers can shop online; get help by phone or online chat from Customer Service Center representatives; and access expert help from a statewide network of certified Brokers and community-based Assisters. For more information: ConnectforHealthCO.com
