Connect for colorado health is Colorado’s state insurance marketplace (commonly referred to as an exchange), offering Coloradans access to private health plans at competitive prices while comparing them and discovering if they qualify for financial help.
Connect for Health Colorado has successfully enrolled more people than ever before during its last Open Enrollment period, providing customers with better quality plans and greater financial savings than ever before.
Get Covered
Each person needs medical care at some point in their life; health insurance can help manage those costs more easily. Understanding your options for affordable health coverage is vital, especially as life changes could alter your ability to access it. Connect for Colorado Health offers plans tailored specifically to fit into any budget – get help finding and enrolling now.
Most shoppers who shop on an exchange qualify for premium tax credits that lower monthly health insurance costs and save on deductibles and copays. All plans offer essential benefits required by the Affordable Care Act, such as preventive services free of charge and coverage for preexisting conditions.
Connect for health Colorado is a state-run health insurance marketplace established under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). It operates a toll-free call center and currently provides 541 health plans from 18 insurers.
Before shopping for health plans, it is wise to learn which are available and affordable in your county. Our interactive map tool makes this task simple by showing all insurance providers offering policies through the exchange as well as their monthly costs and deductibles in each county.
To select the ideal plan, it’s also wise to understand how insurance tiers operate. Each tier carries its own cost structure; typically though, higher monthly costs and reduced out-of-pocket maximums for higher tiers such as bronze plans can make sense for younger and healthier individuals due to low monthly payments – though a bronze plan might not warrant its higher deductible in such instances.
If your income falls between 250% and 300% of the federal poverty level, then Cost-Sharing Reductions (CSRs) could apply to you. CSRs are paid out by the federal government directly to insurers in order to offset costs of lowest cost silver plans; individuals eligible for CSRs can enroll in connect for health Colorado silver plans with lower deductibles, copays and out of pocket limits for health coverage.
Get Financial Help
Connect for health Colorado provides individuals, families and small businesses in Colorado an online marketplace to shop for affordable private health insurance policies at an affordable cost. Customers who purchase through this marketplace may qualify for up-front financial assistance based on their income to reduce costs even further.
While most of us take for granted how easily accessible information can be via the internet, others remain skeptical and suspicious that a solution exists for all their problems. Hopefully by sharing their own stories they may inspire someone else! Connect for Health Colorado ensures all plans sold through its marketplace meet minimum essential coverage requirements, and include valuable consumer protections like free preventive visits and annual wellness exams, no cost preventive visits, coverage for essential benefits such as maternity care, prescription drugs, mental and behavioral health services hospitalizations and emergency room visits as well as free preventive visits at no additional cost and coverage for essential benefits like hospitalizations and emergency room visits. Recently, Colorado unveiled a program designed to offer additional healthcare savings for people shopping on connect for health Colorado who just exceed the income eligibility for Health First Colorado Medicaid benefits and who enroll in Silver-level plans. These additional cost-Sharing Reductions automatically apply when shopping through connect for health colorado.
Only one way to determine whether you qualify for the advance premium tax credit that makes private health insurance more cost-effective is to apply and select a plan through connect for health colorado. Your advance premium tax credit amount will depend on estimated family size and income in 2018, while the IRS will verify its accuracy when filing taxes.
When open enrollment occurs, Connect for Health Colorado offers many ways for individuals to find assistance – either directly at Evans/Greeley My Health Connections Enrollment Centers or remotely through phone and video assistance from Certified Application Assisters. Furthermore, events are held around Colorado that educate communities on the advantages of affordable private health insurance plans that use Connect for Colorado Health to find plans that suit them best.
Health First Colorado (Medicaid), Colorado’s public health insurance program, can be learned about and enrolled into at local community centers, schools, libraries and hospitals – with mobile enrollment vans travelling throughout the state to help people gain access to the marketplace and select a plan that best meets their lifestyle and budget needs.
Compare Plans
If you don’t get health insurance through work or an employer, Connect for Health Colorado offers private health plans at competitive prices and offers financial help to reduce their cost. Their website lets you compare plans and prices before purchasing the plan that best meets your needs.
Connect for Health Colorado plans must include a basic set of benefits, including preventive care. Without health insurance coverage, hospital stays of three days could cost over $30,000. Treating broken legs might cost even more.
Most plans have deductibles, which is the amount you’ll pay towards healthcare costs before your insurance begins to kick in. Deductibles typically range between $250 and $5,000. When choosing your plan, be sure to consider which hospitals and doctors you frequently visit; ensure they’re included within any potential plans you consider.
This website is easy to navigate and utilizes a “shopping cart,” making it simple for you to add and remove plans as you compare them. Every plan offers a summary of benefits and coverage detailing what it covers as well as associated costs; furthermore, you can compare a variety of plans by comparing their price, out-of-pocket expenses, premiums or out-of-pocket costs.
Cost-sharing reductions (CSRs), discounts to lower out-of-pocket expenses like copays and deductibles. CSRs only apply to silver plans sold through Connect for Health Colorado exchange; they do not apply to non-exchange plans.
Connect for Health Colorado now has five insurers providing health plans on Connect, down from eight in 2022 and six early on in 2023 (Bright, Oscar and Friday left the market), plus the Colorado Option that offers standard plans with reduced cost-sharing.
The Colorado Option plan is an HMO or EPO and requires referrals to specialists from your primary care provider. In addition, its network has expanded to include Certified Nurse Midwives as well as more community providers; additionally it can be combined with a Health Savings Account for added flexibility.
Get Help
Health insurance can help cover medical care expenses and protect you against unexpectedly high expenses, while potentially lowering taxes. Connect for Colorado Health is Colorado’s official marketplace where you can apply and enroll in private health plans.
Shopping for coverage can be done both online and in person through certified application counselors. Many communities also provide Enrollment Centers open at various times throughout the week to assist applicants, with some even offering virtual assistance services. When applying during a Special Enrollment Period due to qualifying life events, your chosen health insurer may require proof that you meet certain financial assistance criteria.
If you fall over 400% of the federal poverty level and don’t wish to enroll in Medicaid or Medicare, or are eligible for Health First Colorado but haven’t chosen it yet, Connect for Health Colorado offers health insurance plans at a reduced premium cost; however, no Advance Premium Tax Credit may be claimed; instead you can opt to forgo eligibility determination so as to browse and shop plans, add them to your cart, fill out a short application, pay your initial month’s premium and finish checking out.
Connect for Health Colorado has made it easier and faster to compare options. Plans are organized into metal tiers to show at a glance how each plan divides costs between you and them; you can then use our website to easily compare their respective costs before selecting one that’s suitable.
Connect for Health Colorado is not the only health insurance marketplace offering private plans; other insurers in this space include Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Denver Health, Friday Health Plans, Kaiser Permanente and United Healthcare are among them. In 2023 there will also be new options from UCHealth and SelectHealth due to the merger between Intermountain Health and UCHealth.
Colorado PEAK also makes applying for other public assistance programs easy, such as Medicaid and Child Health Plus (CHP+). You can do this online or over the phone; PEAK can assist in screening for and applying for health, food, cash and child care assistance programs.
