Denver, Colo. – Kevin Patterson, chief executive officer of Connect for Health Colorado, released the following statement regarding a federal court’s Dec. 9 decision regarding Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients’ ability to enroll in a qualified health plan through the health insurance marketplace. 

“The state of Colorado is not affected by a federal court’s Dec. 9 decision in Kansas v. United States of America,” said Kevin Patterson, chief executive officer of Connect for Health Colorado, the state’s official health insurance marketplace. “For plan year 2025, DACA recipients in Colorado can still enroll in health insurance, and may still qualify for financial assistance for health coverage. We will continue to monitor developments and stay in touch with our partners and enrollees as needed.”

About Connect for Health Colorado

Connect for Health Colorado is the state’s official health insurance marketplace. Its mission is to increase access, affordability and choice for individuals, families and small employers purchasing health insurance in Colorado. It is the only place where residents can qualify for and receive financial help for their health insurance.

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Denver, Colo. – Connect for Health Colorado, the state’s official health insurance marketplace, is reminding Coloradans that Dec. 15 is the deadline to enroll in health coverage that starts Jan. 1, 2025.

With the Dec. 15 deadline fast approaching, customers are encouraged to begin the application process today to explore available health insurance plan options and financial assistance, and to avoid a lapse in coverage.

“Connect for Health Colorado is here to help Coloradans enroll in high-quality, affordable health insurance for 2025, so don’t wait – get started today,” said Kevin Patterson, Chief Executive Officer of Connect for Health Colorado.

With enhanced federal tax credits still in effect for 2025, Coloradans can expect a high level of financial support, with 81% of customers qualifying for help. Three out of five Coloradans are expected to find a plan for $10 or less a month. Additionally, people who are re-enrolling may find more affordable health insurance if they shop and change plans.

There are several resources available to help Coloradans enroll. Connect for Health Colorado encourages people to connect with its certified network of assisters and insurance brokers, who are located throughout Colorado and can provide free support in multiple languages. They can help Coloradans apply free of charge, and there’s no obligation to buy a plan when contacting an expert.

A Quick Cost and Plan Finder tool also allows customers to browse plans and see what financial help they may be eligible for without having to create an account.

Last week, Connect for Health Colorado announced that a record number of 221,443 Coloradans have already enrolled in health coverage for plan year 2025.

“Colorado is proud of our nation-leading work to help connect more Coloradans to health care coverage they can afford, and it’s great to see so many people signing up,” said Governor Jared Polis. “I hope that every Coloradan who needs insurance signs up by the Dec. 15 deadline to get their coverage by Jan. 1.”

Those who need health care insurance are encouraged to learn more about open enrollment, plan options, and financial help at ConnectforHealthCO.com or by calling 855-752-6749.

About Connect for Health Colorado

Connect for Health Colorado is the state’s official health insurance marketplace. Its mission is to increase access, affordability and choice for individuals, families and small employers purchasing health insurance in Colorado. It is the only place where residents can qualify for and receive financial help for their health insurance.

Media Contact
Michelle Mendoza, Media Consultant
[email protected] / 303-210-1461

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Denver, Colo.– Connect for Health Colorado, the state’s official health insurance marketplace, is announcing that open enrollment for plan year 2025 starts today. This annual enrollment period offers Coloradans the opportunity to shop  for new affordable health insurance plan options or renew their current plans. Connect for Health Colorado is dedicated to increasing access, affordability and choice for individuals, families, and small businesses purchasing health insurance in Colorado. Connect for Health Colorado is the only place where Coloradans can get federal financial help to purchase health insurance. In fact, during this year’s Open Enrollment, 3 out of 5 customers are expected to find a plan for $10 or less a month.

“We have seen record numbers of Coloradans enroll for the last four years. I’m proud that some of the largest enrollment increases have been in rural counties,” said Connect for Health Colorado’s Chief Executive Officer, Kevin Patterson. “Plan prices and options change every year so we encourage residents to access our experts and tools to review options. Connect for Health Colorado provides support to allow consumers to find the best plan for their family’s health needs and budget.”  Many Coloradans can find more affordable health insurance options if they shop and change plans.

Important Open Enrollment Details for 2025

• Open enrollment for plan year 2025 begins Friday, Nov. 1, 2024 and ends Jan. 15, 2025. Dec. 15, 2024 is the deadline to sign up for coverage that begins Jan. 1, 2025.
• Customers are encouraged to begin the application process as early as possible to explore available health insurance plan options and financial assistance, and avoid a lapse in coverage.
• Six health insurance companies, including Anthem, Cigna, Denver Health, Kaiser Permanente, Rocky Mountain Health Plans, and Select Health, will offer medical plans for 2025. Additionally, dental and vision plans are available from several providers.
• The Quick Cost and Plan Finder tool allows customers to browse plans and see what financial help they may be eligible for without having to create an account.

New Policies Expand Access and Affordability

• Due to state and federal changes, immigrant families now qualify for health coverage through Health First Colorado (Colorado’s Medicaid program), Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+), and Connect for Health Colorado. Customers are strongly encouraged to work with a broker or assister to determine which program is appropriate for them in 2025.
• The federal Inflation Reduction Act that provides the enhanced Advance Premium Tax Credits remains in effect for 2025, which means people can continue to expect a high level of financial help. In fact, 81% of customers will qualify for financial help.

Year Three of the OmniSalud Program

Today marks the start of the third Open Enrollment Period for Colorado Connect, Connect for Health Colorado’s public benefit corporation and online enrollment platform. Colorado Connect is home to the OmniSalud program, which provides undocumented Coloradans with a safe way to compare affordable health insurance plans, get financial help if eligible, and enroll securely.

This year, in coordination with the Health Insurance Affordability Enterprise, OmniSalud re-enrollment is prioritizing continuity of coverage. Current customers enrolled in a SilverEnhanced Savings plan with financial help through OmniSalud will have until November 22 to claim their spot. New customers seeking financial help can apply starting on November 25, 2024.

People interested in enrolling in the OmniSalud program are strongly encouraged to contact a certified Broker or enrollment Assister. Find help by visiting the OmniSalud Help website page.

Get Free, Expert Assistance

Connect for Health Colorado is committed to empowering Coloradans with the resources they need to make informed health insurance plan choices. Its certified network of assisters and insurance brokers are located throughout Colorado and can provide support in multiple languages. They can help Coloradans apply free of charge, and there’s no obligation to buy a plan when contacting an expert.

Those who need health care insurance are encouraged to learn more about open enrollment, plan options, and financial help at ConnectforHealthCO.com or by calling 855-752-6749.

About Connect for Health Colorado

Connect for Health Colorado is the state’s official health insurance marketplace. Its mission is to increase access, affordability and choice for individuals, families and small employers purchasing health insurance in Colorado. It is the only place where residents can qualify for and receive financial help for their health insurance.

Media Contact
Michelle Mendoza, Media Consultant
[email protected] / 303-210-1461

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Connect for Health Colorado is soliciting responses from qualified entities to provide Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement (ICHRA) enrollment and administrative services for its employee’s health benefit plan. Through this Request for Proposals (RFP), Connect for Health Colorado intends to identify and potentially contract with a vendor to provide ICHRA services (detailed in Section 3 and 4). To be considered, bidders must demonstrate experience and skills in delivering the business requirements along with the other selection criteria identified in this RFP.

The Request for Proposal and our responses to submitted questions provide additional details. We look forward to hearing from you.

DENVER – The Colorado House Minority Office has named Jennifer S. Brooks, an insurance broker, to the Board of Directors of Connect for Health Colorado . Brooks is a licensed broker with Sage Benefit Advisors, an Alera Group Company, and has been a certified broker with Connect for Health Colorado since the first Open Enrollment Period. 

With more than 25 years of experience as a health insurance broker, Jennifer found her specialization in the individual market during a time when people could be denied coverage based on their medical history. Today, Jennifer uses her degree in education to assist customers in understanding insurance concepts and how their policies function. She aims to impart knowledge that will empower them to make informed decisions as health insurance consumers for their lifetime. 
 
“As one of Connect for Health Colorado’s certified enrollment experts, Jennifer brings a vital customer focus and perspective to the Board of Directors,” said Board Chair Dick Thompson. “Her depth of experience with the individual market and Colorado’s marketplace paired with her dedication to advocating for our customers will contribute greatly to our board’s strategic discussions.” 

Jennifer began her activism at the age of 14 when she initiated a school-wide petition to introduce a Spanish language class at her small-town Iowa school. Although her initial attempt was unsuccessful, it did not deter her from pursuing her passion for making a positive impact. 

The Connect for Health Colorado Board of Directors has nine voting members and three ex-officio members. 

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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

Connect for Health Colorado is looking for applications from qualified media services vendors to assist Connect for Health Colorado with our marketing goals to Spanish-speaking and bilingual (English/Spanish) audiences across the state. The firm would be contracted to work with Connect for Health Colorado to develop a media strategy based on our goals and to develop and execute a media buying program and advertising campaigns, during the upcoming Open Enrollment period for health insurance, and for other marketing purposes.

The Request for Proposal provides additional details and instructions on how to respond.

We look forward to hearing from you.

DENVER— Gov. Jared Polis has named a leader in health policy, Emily King, to the board of directors of Connect for Health Colorado as an ex-officio member. King is the senior health policy advisor for Gov. Polis and serves as the deputy director of the Office of Saving People Money on Health Care.

King was most recently at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, where she managed a team that developed policy for the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Before that, she oversaw the health portfolio for the majority staff of the Budget Committee in the House of Representatives. Prior to that, she served as a Medicaid analyst for the White House Office of Management and Budget and then the Congressional Budget Office.

“I’m delighted to welcome Emily King to Connect for Health Colorado’s board of directors,” said Board Chair Dick Thompson. “Her depth of knowledge, experience, and perspective from working at the forefront of health policy will contribute greatly to our board.»

King began her career at the Colorado Health Institute, focusing on implications of state and federal health reform. She received her BA in public health from the University of Colorado at Boulder and her MPA in economics and public policy from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs.

The Connect for Health Colorado Board has nine voting members and three ex-officio members.

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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

Statement from Connect for Health Colorado

DENVER – Last Thursday, Connect for Health Colorado’s Board of Directors took a support position on House Bill 24-1258 Credit Covered Person Expenses Insurer Insolvency. This bill will require a covered individual’s new health insurance company to credit out-of-pocket expenses paid if their current health insurance company leaves the market mid-plan year and can no longer provide coverage. This bill also provides methods for health insurance companies to recoup any expenses and increase in claims liability because of crediting out-of-pocket expenses. Connect for Health Colorado has released the following statement:

“As the official health insurance marketplace for Coloradans, it’s our mission to increase access, affordability, and choice. HB24-1258 directly furthers that mission for customers needing new coverage in the event of a mid-year market exit, which we’ve seen a couple of times in the past few years. This bill will protect customers’ health and finances as they attain new coverage for their health care needs without worrying about resetting deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums. For those reasons, Connect for Health Colorado supports House Bill 24-1258.”
 
House Bill 24-1258 has passed the House and is currently awaiting debate and vote in the Senate.

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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

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