All health insurance plans offered by our Marketplace include Essential Health Benefits, including:
• Ambulatory patient services
• Emergency services
• Hospitalization
• Maternity and newborn care
• Mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health treatment
• Prescription drugs
• Rehabilitative and Habilitative services and devices
• Laboratory services
• Preventive and wellness services and chronic disease management
• Pediatric services, including oral and vision care

Most plans from health insurance companies have flexibility in determining how these benefits are covered, and some offer additional services like chiropractic care.

However, Colorado Option plans within each coverage level cover all the same benefits for the same prices, no matter what company you buy from.

You also may have the option to buy stand-alone dental or vision care through Connect for Health Colorado.

You have the right to appeal your application results when you apply to buy a health plan or receive financial help from Connect for Health Colorado. If you were denied Health First Colorado (Colorado’s Medicaid program) or CHP+, you must file an appeal with the county office in which you reside. Connect for Health Colorado cannot process appeals for Health First Colorado or CHP+.

To appeal an eligibility result you received from Connect for Health Colorado, please submit an appeal request form within 30 days of your application results. You can find the appeal form and instructions on how to file an appeal in your application results notice, online, or by calling the Customer Service Center at 855-752-6749.

If you would like someone to help you with the application process, we offer free, expert help from our Certified Brokers and Assisters.

A Small Business Tax Credit is a tax credit designed for small businesses to help offset a portion of their cost of offering health insurance to their employees. The tax credit may cover up to 50% of an employer’s costs or (up to 35% for qualifying non-profits). The Small Business Tax Credit will be available for two consecutive years. Businesses will receive the tax credit when they file their income taxes.

To be eligible, a Colorado employer must:

• Have fewer than 25 full-time equivalent employees (FTEs)
• Have an average employee wage of less than $53,000 a year (as of tax year 2017)
• Pay a minimum of 50% of the premium cost for single coverage for each employee (uniformity rules apply)

To estimate whether or not you may be eligible for a tax credit, you can use our Small Business Tax Credit Calculator.

For more information, visit the IRS website.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed by Congress in 2010. Along with the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, these two laws make up what is known as the federal health reform law. These laws created a number of changes that primarily affect private and public health insurance programs. Some key changes include:

• A mandate that a health insurance exchange (or “Marketplace”) be established in each state, administered by the state or the federal government.
• An end to lifetime limits on coverage.
• Certain preventive health services, such as annual exams, are free to insured Coloradans.
• Adults cannot be denied health insurance because of a preexisting condition or health history.

For more information on the Affordable Care Act , please visit the federal health reform website.

Tax Dependents

You (the taxpayer), your spouse/partner (if you file taxes jointly), and whoever is claimed as a dependent on your tax return.

Adult Children Up to Age 26

Even if you no longer claim your adult child on your tax return, you can include them on your application and enroll them in your family health insurance plan. You will want to provide their address, income, and tax filing status on the application, which means they may qualify for different financial help programs, or a different amount, than the rest of the household.

Victims of Domestic Violence and/or Spousal Abandonment

You can qualify for financial help, even if you are married and filing separately, if you are the victim of domestic violence and/or spousal abandonment.

Information about tax households, the definition of a dependent, and other tax filing topics can be found on the IRS website.

Individuals must apply for an exemption with the Federal Health Insurance Marketplace, Healthcare.gov, rather than Connect for Health Colorado. Eligible individuals will receive an Exemption Certificate Number from the federal government. Be sure to save this number for when you file your taxes. Individuals applying for an exemption based on coverage being unaffordable, membership in a health care sharing ministry, membership in a federally-recognized tribe or being incarcerated can claim these exemptions when they file their taxes and do not need to apply for an exemption beforehand.

Medicare is a health insurance program administered by the federal government for individuals who are age 65 or older, certain people with disabilities and other special populations. Connect for Health Colorado does not administer Medicare. Learn more about Medicare eligibility and enrollment, and how Medicare coverage may affect your coverage options through the Marketplace:

General Information on Medicare
Information on Medicare and the Marketplace

An employer-sponsored plan is considered “affordable” based onthe percentage the employee is required to contribute to the premiums for self-only coverage. The employee should not have to contribute more than a certain “contribution percentage” of their total household Modified Adjusted Gross Income.

For 2026, the contribution percentage is 9.96% (this percentage will increase annually).

Your employer-sponsored plan must also provide “minimum value.” A health plan meets the minimum value standard if:
(1) It pays at least 60% of the total cost of medical services and
(2) Its benefits include substantial coverage of physician and inpatient hospital services.

If you experience a change that may affect your health insurance options, such as marriage, the birth or adoption of a child, a move, or a change in income, you should report it to Connect for Health Colorado within 30 days of the event. Connect for Health Colorado will determine if you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period or if your eligibility for financial help has changed.

Note: You should report changes to Connect for Health Colorado as soon as possible to avoid receiving more Premium Tax Credit than you qualify for. If you receive excess Premium Tax Credit during the year, you may be required to pay some or all of it back when you file your federal income taxes.