Key changes and ways to help Coloradans prepare for Open Enrollment

Open Enrollment is just a few months away, and this year, Connect for Health Colorado is continuing to make it easier for Coloradans to find coverage that works for them, no matter their circumstances.

Whether a customer is enrolling in a marketplace plan, transitioning from another coverage program, or shopping with (or without) financial help, Connect for Health Colorado is here to make it easier to enroll. And you are vital to making sure our neighbors get—and stay—covered.

There are several changes ahead for Plan Year 2027, so we’ve created a comprehensive message platform with information and resources to help you answer questions and support customers.

One significant change: Beginning with Plan Year 2027, customers will be able to explore a broader range of health plans through Connect for Health Colorado. Customers who do not qualify for financial help may see additional options, including off-exchange plans, while customers who qualify for financial help will only see plans eligible for those savings.

That means more individuals and small businesses can come to one place to understand their health coverage options, regardless of whether they qualify for financial help.

This is an important part of our strategic plan to grow and strengthen Colorado’s individual health insurance marketplace. For Connect for Health Colorado, that means providing more Coloradans with choices for their health coverage.

By including off-exchange plans on our platform, we can improve the enrollment experience for a wider range of Coloradans, connect more customers with trusted experts, and make it easier for more people to get insured—all while maintaining a seamless customer experience for those who qualify for financial help and who will continue to see plans eligible for those savings.

As we ready ourselves for Open Enrollment, here are four ways you can help customers understand what’s changing and how they can prepare:

• Encourage customers to maximize their current health benefits by scheduling annual physicals, filling prescriptions, staying up to date on vaccines, and checking balances on Health Savings Accounts and Flexible Spending Accounts.
  
• Customers should update their preferred contact method and make sure we have correct email and mailing addresses. That will help ensure they get notices from Connect for Health Colorado about their eligibility, financial help, enrollment and coverage.
  
• Eligible returning customers will see a change in autorenewals this year. For Plan Year 2027, those customers will be automatically re-enrolled at the start of Open Enrollment. But that doesn’t guarantee that their premiums, financial help, plan benefits, provider networks or other coverage details will stay the same. They should review their renewal, compare available plans and verify their household and income information during Open Enrollment.
  
• During Open Enrollment, encourage customers to shop and compare. That may save them money. Customers also have different options this year, including Colorado Access Choice plans. And Cigna is leaving Colorado’s individual medical market, which means current Cigna medical customers will need to select a new plan for 2027. Even customers who are automatically re-enrolled should take time to compare plans, costs, providers and prescription drug coverage.

As November nears, customers will have questions and they’ll need help. That’s why we’re here. Thank you for continuing to be an essential part of our work. I’m grateful to have you alongside us as we prepare for another Open Enrollment.

Take care,

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