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
