DENVER— In its tenth year of enrollment operations, Connect for Health Colorado, the state’s official health insurance marketplace, is providing more financial help for health insurance, offering more local enrollment assistance and enrolling more people into coverage than ever before.
In a report published today, Connect for Health Colorado provides a comprehensive look at the Open Enrollment Period data and outcomes. (Connect for Health Colorado released preliminary enrollment totals from the Open Enrollment Period at the end of January.) This new report includes information such as average costs and enrollments by county and the significance of Broker and Assister enrollment assistance. Here are the highlights:
Tax Season is a Health Coverage Enrollment Opportunity
DENVER— The annual Open Enrollment Period for health insurance ended mid-January, but Coloradans who missed the enrollment deadline could still have a special opportunity to sign up for health coverage as a result of the Tax Time Enrollment Program.
The Tax Time Enrollment Program, which launched last year, provides Coloradans the opportunity to check a box on their state tax return to share their information with Connect for Health Colorado and the state Department of Health Care Policy & Financing for the purpose of obtaining health coverage. Through October 2022, approximately 1,700 people used the Tax Time Enrollment Program to enroll in a health insurance plan through Connect for Health Colorado.
Consumer Advisory: Former Individual Market Bright Health & Oscar Health Enrollees Have Until March 1 to Choose New Coverage
Special Enrollment Period allows them to still get insurance for 2023.
DENVER - People who had individual health insurance plans (insurance not from an employer) from Bright Health and Oscar Health in 2022 are reminded that they have until the end of February to choose a health plan from another company for 2023 insurance.
Even though the regular open enrollment for individual health insurance plans concluded on January 15, consumers who had their Bright or Oscar coverage finish at the end of December are allowed a 60-day special enrollment period (SEP) because those companies did not offer plans for 2023. This 60-day SEP started on January 1 and will continue until March 1, 2023.
More Than 212,000 Coloradans Signed Up for Health Insurance Coverage During Annual Enrollment Period
DENVER – Connect for Health Colorado (the Marketplace) reports that 201,758 Coloradans enrolled in a health insurance plan during the Open Enrollment Period for 2023 coverage. That is an increase of approximately 3,000 plan enrollments above last year’s total.
Approximately 35,000 Coloradans Chose the Colorado Option During the 2023 Open Enrollment
Insurance Commissioner Conway: “We’re working on making this program even better.”
DENVER - As announced by the Governor during his State of the State speech, the preliminary 2023 open enrollment figures for the Colorado Option make it clear that the Coloradans are excited and want the Colorado Option.
As of January 10th, approximately 35,000 people have enrolled in Colorado Option plans - approximately 25,000 through Connect for Health Colorado, the state’s health insurance marketplace, and another 10,000 via OmniSalud.
DENVER— This Sunday, January 15th, is the last day of Colorado’s annual Open Enrollment Period for health insurance. Connect for Health Colorado, the state’s official health insurance marketplace, reports that more than 192,000 people have signed up for a 2023 health insurance plan during Open Enrollment so far.
Enrollment Season for Health Insurance Continues Through January 15th
Coloradans Can Still Enroll in 2023 Coverage
DENVER— As of January 4th, more than 188,000 Coloradans have signed up for a health insurance plan through Connect for Health Colorado, the state’s official health insurance marketplace, during the annual Open Enrollment period. This is approximately 2,300 enrollments ahead of the same day last year. 75 percent of customers applying are qualifying for financial help to reduce the cost of their insurance.
But there is still time to enroll. With the enrollment deadline approaching on January 15, 2023, Coloradans have less than two weeks left to choose a plan for coverage that will start on February 1, 2023.
Thousands of Residents Have Used the Marketplace to Enroll in 2023 Health Insurance
DENVER— This Thursday, December 8, is Get Covered Colorado Day. This day of action encourages as many Coloradans as possible to enroll in 2023 health coverage during the annual Open Enrollment Period, which runs through January 15. In the first five weeks of this year’s Open Enrollment, approximately 145,000 residents enrolled in a plan through Colorado’s official health insurance marketplace, Connect for Health Colorado.
Seeing how Connect4HealthCO announced 57.5K enrollees just 6 days ago, it's pretty safe to assume that they didn't have over 87,000 more Coloradans suddenly enroll in less than a week. Presumably the 145K figure includes auto-renewals of the remaining current enrollees who haven't actively signed up for a 2023 policy yet.
DENVER— Since November 1, more than 57,500 people have used Connect for Health Colorado’s marketplace to enroll in a health insurance plan. That’s 7,000 enrollments ahead of the same time period last year. Approximately 78 percent of those who have enrolled so far are qualifying for financial help that reduces the cost of plans.
Connect for Health Colorado’s Chief Executive Officer, Kevin Patterson, released the following statement:
“I’m so pleased that people are getting covered early in the enrollment period and that we’re continuing to see enrollment growth year over year. That tells me that our marketplace is giving people the options they’re looking for, at prices that are within their budget. For those who are waiting to sign up, I urge that you make an appointment with an enrollment specialist and enroll by December 15 to begin the new year with peace of mind.”
One of the most inane restrictions of the ACA in my view, as I noted in my "If I Ran the Zoo" wish list back in 2017, is that it doesn't allow undocumented immigrants to enroll in ACA marketplace health plans ("Qualified Health Plans" or QHPs).
I don't just mean that they aren't eligible for federal financial subsidies--that's a prohibition which I can at least understand, even if I don't agree with it. I mean that they aren't allowed to enroll in ACA exchange-based QHPs even at full price, as noted in Section 1312(f)(3):
(3) Access limited to lawful residents.--If an individual is not, or is not reasonably expected to be for the entire period for which enrollment is sought, a citizen or national of the United States or an alien lawfully present in the United States, the individual shall not be treated as a qualified individual and may not be covered under a qualified health plan in the individual market that is offered through an Exchange.
