Contact: Luke Clarke 720-496-2545

DENVER – Connect for Health Colorado® Board Chair Adela Flores-Brennan today announced that Claire Brockbank, an executive with a healthcare strategy and business development firm, has been named to the Board of Directors for the state’s health insurance Marketplace.

Ms. Brockbank is a principal at Segue Consulting, a health care strategy and business development firm.  Since 1996, Segue has helped public and private sector clients revamp their strategies to help shape or better align with the rapidly changing health care marketplace. Ms. Brockbank is working with the Centers for Disease Control and multiple state governments on innovative collaborations with the private sector to promote mutually beneficial health and wellness strategies.

She also has a longstanding relationship with the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions (formerly NBCH) to support and promote value-based purchasing.

“We’re happy to welcome a board member with deep experience guiding change in the healthcare market,” Flores-Brennan said. “Claire brings an important strategic perspective to Connect for Health Colorado as we grow the Marketplace and increase coverage in our state for individuals, families and small businesses in a rapidly evolving landscape.”

Ms. Brockbank was appointed to the board by Gov. John Hickenlooper to fill the seat vacated by Eric Grossman for a term that runs through July 2020.

The Connect for Health Colorado board has nine voting members and three ex-officio members. They are appointed by Republican and Democratic leaders in the state Legislature and by the governor.

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.  It opened for business on Oct. 1, 2013, for individuals, families and small employers to compare and buy health insurance and is the only place to apply for financial assistance in the form of tax credits to help lower the monthly cost of premiums. Customers can shop online; get help by phone or online chat from Customer Service Center representatives; and access free, in-person assistance from a statewide network of certified Brokers, community-based Health Coverage Guides or Application Counselors. For more information: www.connectforhealthco.com

To Our Valued Stakeholders

We launched our fifth Open Enrollment Period with encouraging call volume and account creation levels. We’re grateful, as always, for stakeholder support at this exciting time of year.

Colorado media and around the country are drawing comparisons of state-based marketplaces, like ours, and the federally facilitated marketplaces in 39 states. It is helping us get across the longer Open Enrollment period – through January 12 – that we will be having.

Avoiding confusion with the shorter open enrollment period in federally-facilitated marketplaces is a new communication challenge but it is also giving us the opportunity to talk about the advantages of having a state-based marketplace and providing a Colorado solution.

Many stories, such as this piece in The Denver Post, have emphasized the dramatic effect rising premiums have on the Advance Premium Tax Credit.

In the News

While funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) in Colorado, awaits Congressional reauthorization, preparation continues in Colorado. Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) has estimated existing funding will carry the program through the end of January 2018. HCPF is providing updates on its Future of Child Health Plan Plus page, including a sample letter to members that will go out the last week of November, if funding is not restored.

Take care,

Kevin

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

To Our Valued Stakeholders

No surprise, but we are talking a lot about Open Enrollment in the days before we launch what will be our fifth Open Enrollment Period.

Some of those conversations have been with news outlets around the state who are helping us raise awareness about what’s different this year and what stays the same.

On Tuesday, I was with Colorado Public Radio for a Colorado Matters interview and the next day we hosted a phone-in question and answer session for media around the state. I spoke with Denver 7 for this story.

The important points are getting across:

• We’re ready to help Coloradans buy health insurance for 2018 starting Wednesday morning
• Financial help is still here and increasing next year to cushion premium increases
• For many of our customers net premiums will be going down

In the News

While little has been done to clear the way for the bipartisan reform bill that could bring more stability to the individual market and restore Cost Sharing Reduction reimbursements, the Congressional Budget Office did score the measure this week, finding it would reduce the budget deficit by $3.8 billion. The Commonwealth Fund provided analysis.

Take care,

Kevin

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

 

To Our Valued Stakeholders

With all the debate on the future of healthcare in this country, there are a few things I would like to make clear about the situation in Colorado:

• On November 1, Connect for Health Colorado will be open for business with 2018 health plans.
• Coloradans who are eligible for financial help through Advance Premium Tax Credits and/or Cost Sharing Reduction will have the same level of help available to them with their 2018 coverage. In fact, net premiums – what the individual pays after the tax credit – will drop an average of 20 percent.
• We have loaded those plans into our system and we are making the final quality assurance checks on our shopping site as you read this message.

In the News

I think everyone is aware of legislation that would restore the Cost Share Reduction reimbursements to health insurance companies. The bill has several provisions that could stabilize the individual health insurance market. The fate of that measure is very much in question, as this Politico article makes clear.

Gov. Hickenlooper and nine other governors from both parties sent a letter to congressional leadership supporting restoration of Cost Share Reduction payments to health insurance companies and stabilizing the individual market.

As the bill is currently written, it contains a provision for health insurance companies to pay rebates if their Cost Share Reduction reimbursements are restored for next year, even as they charge premiums that were raised on the belief the reimbursements would not come. The bill is in the earliest stages of the legislative process and we have all been reminded of the uncertainty of that process this year.

This uncertainty will be with us for a while but my message to Coloradans buying their own coverage remains the same as in previous years: take the time to check the options available to you, check to see what financial assistance might be available to you and choose the health plan that best meets your needs and the needs of your family.

Take care,

Kevin

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

Contact: Luke Clarke 720-496-2545

DENVER — Connect for Health Colorado opens for business Wednesday, November 1, with an improved customer support tool and an urgent message to consumers: Check your options, you may be surprised.

“We know the current climate has been confusing for many of our customers and stakeholders,” said Connect for Health Colorado Chief Executive Kevin Patterson. “The bottom line is the story is the same. Everyone who buys their own insurance can benefit from taking time to review the health plan options available to them and to check their eligibility for financial help.

“Too many people assume they make too much to qualify for help with the cost of insurance. That is like ‘leaving money on the table.’ It only takes a minute to check at ConnectforHealthCO.com. And even consumers who do not qualify for the help reduce the increase in their premiums by looking at comparable plans in their area. I am urging everyone to ‘stop, shop and enroll’ by December 15.”

Open Enrollment runs from November 1, 2017, to January 12, 2018 but consumers need to enroll by December 15 to have coverage in place by January 1, 2018.

The state Division of Insurance (DOI) has calculated that, on average, premiums will increase 33% in 2018. But because the level of assistance increases as premiums rise, the average net premium (what consumers pay after assistance) will go down 20%.

Connect for Health Colorado shoppers will find an improved Quick Cost and Plan Finder Tool that helps them estimate their out-of-pocket costs including prescription costs in the coming year, relying on claims data from the All Payers Claims Database maintained by the Center for Improving Value in Health Care. They will also find streamlined user experience within the award-winning tool that allows them to complete their estimates and comparisons in half as many screens.

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.  It opened for business on Oct. 1, 2013, for individuals, families and small employers to compare and buy health insurance and is the only place to apply for financial assistance in the form of tax credits to help lower the monthly cost of premiums. Customers can shop online; get help by phone or online chat from Customer Service Center representatives; and access free, in-person assistance from a statewide network of certified Brokers, community-based Health Coverage Guides or Application Counselors. For more information: www.connectforhealthco.com

To Our Valued Stakeholders,

Our partners at state Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) put out an important update this week on the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Federal funding expired on Saturday (September 30). HCPF estimates Colorado has enough money on hand to keep the program operating through January 31, 2018.

It’s important that the 75,000 children and nearly 800 pregnant mothers covered under the program in our state continue using benefits through January but it’s time for them to start planning for potential changes in January. For many, the best option will be obtaining subsidized coverage through Connect for Health Colorado. We continue to prepare for that possibility with HCPF but recipients should sign up for updates through their PEAK accounts and we can all follow developments on the Future of Child Health Plan Plus web site.

In Other News

Congress can act at any time on reauthorizing the CHIP program, which has received bipartisan support for decades. But it looks a little different this year. The New York Times has reported that a measure to reauthorize the program ran into opposition in the House Energy and Commerce Committee added provisions affecting Medicare and Medicaid.

The partisan dispute leaves it difficult to say when to expect the question to be resolved. We continue to prepare to serve that population until it is.

Take care,

Kevin

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

To Our Valued Stakeholders,

Our state got some good news this week with the release of the 2017 Colorado Health Access Survey. The topline finding that the gains we have made in expanding coverage since 2013 are holding, even improving modestly, was encouraging. More than 5 million Coloradans can now be counted among those with the health and financial security that comes with coverage, nearly 94 percent of the state’s population.

Personal bankruptcies tied to healthcare debt in Colorado have plummeted 60 percent since 2013, down to 40,000 a year, and 87 percent of the state’s residents rate their health as good or excellent. Among Connect for Health Colorado customers the number is even better — 94 percent.

We know that there is more work to be done. Coverage gains are less robust in the rural reaches of the state and the cost of care and coverage remains uncontained. These and other findings in the biennial report  support the direction our board took in adopting our strategic plan in July.

In Other News

State-based marketplaces, including Connect for Health Colorado, provided input to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee as it worked to find bipartisan solutions to support the individual health insurance market. Unfortunately, that effort has been overshadowed by another effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act and the HELP committee work is not expected to result in a bill.

The repeal bill, which the Senate is expected to take up early next week, has been criticized by governors from both political parties, including our own. Gov. Hickenlooper estimated in a Colorado Public Radio interview that the state would lose $1.5 billion a year if the Graham-Cassidy bill were to become law.

The Commonwealth Fund provided a succinct analysis of the measure and Kaiser Health News assembled a collection of news reports that you may find helpful.

I was in Washington this week and I had the opportunity to meet with members of the Colorado delegation or their staffers. I remain convinced that healthcare solutions lie in bipartisan agreement.

Take care,

Kevin

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

Connect for Health Colorado® CEO Kevin Patterson Statement on Progress Documented in 2017 Colorado Health Access Survey  

On September 19, 2017, the Colorado Health Institute reported in its biannual Colorado Health Access Survey that Colorado continues to maintain the high level of health insurance coverage gained since adoption of the Affordable Care Act.

Connect for Health Colorado CEO Kevin Patterson issued the following statement:

“It is extraordinarily good news that Colorado continues to increase to historically high levels the number of residents who enjoy the health benefits and financial security that come through health insurance. Colorado set out to find a Colorado solution to expanding health care coverage well before the Affordable Care Act became the law of the land. Our state remains a leader in expanding health coverage with nearly 94 percent of our population covered.

“We know that much works remains to be done and this valuable research confirms the direction our board of directors set in our recently adopted strategic plan. It is particularly encouraging to me that a high percentage of Connect for Health Colorado customers say they are in good or excellent health, 7 percentage points higher than reported by the state’s population as a whole.”

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

 

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.  It opened for business on Oct. 1, 2013, for individuals, families and small employers to compare and buy health insurance and is the only place to apply for financial assistance in the form of tax credits to help lower the monthly cost of premiums. Customers can shop online; get help by phone or online chat from Customer Service Center representatives; and access free, in-person assistance from a statewide network of certified Brokers, community-based Health Coverage Guides or Application Counselors. For more information: www.connectforhealthco.com

To Our Valued Stakeholders,

I was able to participate in a presentation on the importance of marketing and outreach in strengthening state Marketplaces, alongside the executive director for Covered California at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, this week.

Covered California’s research examined the role of marketing in attracting a healthy risk pool which helps contain rate increases by keeping risk scores low. California’s 2016 risk score was nearly as low as Colorado’s, according to this Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) report. Colorado had the nation’s lowest score, as we reported in July.

In Other News

It was good to see agreement on reauthorizing funding for the critical Children’s Health Insurance Program, CHP+ in Colorado, this week. But time is short for passing the actual legislation, as this Vox article makes clear.

Nearly 70,000 children and more than 700 pregnant women are covered by CHP+ in Colorado. The department Health Care Policy and Financing is providing updates here.

We get questions about Special Enrollment Periods and documenting the Life Change Events that trigger them. Special Enrollment Period documentation requests are addressed by insurance companies directly, and do not involve the Marketplace, but we have posted some guidance to the process for your reference. You will find it linked from our Life Change Events page.

Take care,

Kevin

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

To Our Valued Stakeholders,

We have a long way to go and a few short weeks to get there but the two days of hearings before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee this week featured members of both parties sharing ideas on bolstering the individual health insurance market. In fact, support for Congress continuing Cost Share Reductions came from members of both parties.

Reinsurance, which would give health insurance companies a backstop for covering their most expensive members, is also getting support, according to the Washington Post. This week’s hearings kindled hope of bipartisan action on broader policy initiatives, according to Morning Consult.

In Other News

The Division of Insurance (DOI) approved individual and small group rates for 2018 on Wednesday. The rates in the individual market increased 27 percent on average and 7 percent for the small group market. Both represent reductions from requested rates, according to the DOI announcement.

Supporters of the Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP), known as Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) in Colorado, got some encouraging words Thursday in a Senate Finance Committee hearing, according to The Hill. But time is short. Authorization for CHP+ runs out in just three weeks without action.

Colorado Health Care Policy and Financing, who administers CHP+, is providing updates here.

Take care,

Kevin

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