Connect for Health Colorado® to launch open enrollment Nov. 1

STATEWIDE— Connect for Health Colorado opens for business Wednesday, November 1, with an improved customer support tool and an urgent message to consumers: Check your options, you may be surprised.

“We know the current climate has been confusing for many of our customers and stakeholders,” said Connect for Health Colorado Chief Executive Kevin Patterson. “The bottom line is the story is the same. Everyone who buys their own insurance can benefit from taking time to review the health plan options available to them and to check their eligibility for financial help.

“Too many people assume they make too much to qualify for help with the cost of insurance. That is like ‘leaving money on the table.’ It only takes a minute to check at ConnectforHealthCO.com. And even consumers who do not qualify for the help reduce the increase in their premiums by looking at comparable plans in their area. I am urging everyone to ‘stop, shop and enroll’ by December 15.”

Open Enrollment runs from November 1, 2017, to January 12, 2018 but consumers need to enroll by December 15 to have coverage in place by January 1, 2018.

The state Division of Insurance (DOI) has calculated that, on average, premiums will increase 33 percent in 2018. But because the level of assistance increases as premiums rise, the average net premium (what consumers pay after assistance) will go down 20 percent.

Connect for Health Colorado shoppers will find an improved Quick Cost and Plan Finder Tool that helps them estimate their out-of-pocket costs including prescription costs in the coming year, relying on claims data from the All Payers Claims Database maintained by the Center for Improving Value in Health Care. They will also find streamlined user experience within the award-winning tool that allows them to complete their estimates and comparisons in half as many screens.

Connect for Health Colorado is a public, non-profit entity established by the Colorado General Assembly in 2011 to create a health insurance Marketplace.  It opened for business on Oct. 1, 2013, for individuals, families and small employers to compare and buy health insurance and is the only place to apply for financial assistance in the form of tax credits to help lower the monthly cost of premiums. Customers can shop online; get help by phone or online chat from Customer Service Center representatives; and access free, in-person assistance from a statewide network of certified Brokers, community-based Health Coverage Guides or Application Counselors. For more information: www.connectforhealthco.com