C4HCO

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I'm gonna be posting mea culpas for a few days for missing important ACA-related announcements over the past few weeks.

Most of this press release is no longer relevant as the 2021 "No Excuse Needed" Special Enrollment Period is over now, but there's one important data point which is worth noting:

Last Call for Coloradans to Sign Up for 2021 Health Coverage

  • After August 15th, you’ll need a qualifying event to enroll

DENVER — Coloradans have until Sunday, August 15th to sign up and save on health coverage through Connect for Health Colorado. Thanks to a new federal law, more Coloradans are eligible to save than ever before. But this is the last chance for people to enroll in a plan that provides coverage this year unless they experience a Qualifying Life Event.

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This just in from Connect for Health Colorado...

Colorado's Health Insurance Marketplace Maintains Enrollment Momentum

  • There's still time to enroll

DENVER – As of Wednesday, July 7, 205,813 Coloradans have signed up for a plan that provides coverage this year through Connect for Health Colorado. That’s an additional 5,000 enrollments since last month when Connect for Health Colorado announced its Marketplace had reached a historic enrollment milestone for the 2021 plan year.

That's actually 5,694 more enrollees since June 7th, although they may be knocking it down a bit to account for attrition/etc. That amounts to 190 additional enrollees per day, which is actually up from the ~167/day which Colorado had been averaging from May through June. Huh.

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This just in from Connect for Health Colorado...

U.S. Supreme Court Upholds the Affordable Care Act

  • Coverage protections, financial help and many other programs continue as part of law that has helped millions of Coloradans 

Today, the United States Supreme Court announced its 7-2 decision in California v. Texas, No. 19-840, to uphold the Affordable Care Act (ACA), now covering 31 million Americans.

“We are pleased with the Court’s decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act. This is welcome news to more than 500,000 Coloradans who have gained access to quality health care coverage through Medicaid expansion,” said Kim Bimestefer, executive director of the Department of Health Care Policy & Financing. “This coverage expansion is more important than ever, given the COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturn, which has caused many Coloradans to lose their jobs and with that their employer-sponsored health insurance coverage.” 

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This just in from Connect for Health Colorado...

Connect for Health Colorado Hits Historic Enrollment Milestone for 2021 Plan Year

  • Thousands More Coloradans Have Health Coverage Thanks to Extended Enrollment Window and New, Federal Law

DENVER – As of Monday, June 7, 200,119 Coloradans have signed up for a plan that provides coverage this year through Connect for Health Colorado, the state’s official health insurance marketplace. That is a historic number of enrollments in a plan year for Connect for Health Colorado since opening for business in 2013.

Just over 20,000 of this year’s enrollments occurred since Connect for Health Colorado re-opened enrollment in Feb. 2021, and half of those sign ups occurred since the organization began offering expanded subsidies under a new, federal law in April 2021.

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In addition to the 940,000 Americans who have enrolled in ACA coverage across the 36 states hosted by HealthCare.Gov to date during the COVID Special Enrollment Period, Connect for Health Colorado just announced that the Centennial State has enrolled over 17,200 more people via their own COVID SEP:

DENVER — 17,282 Coloradans have signed up for a health insurance plan since Connect for Health Colorado re-opened enrollment on Feb. 8, with more than 7,500 sign ups in the last month alone. That uptick in enrollments coincides with the date that Connect for Health Colorado began offering increased savings on health insurance to residents of all income ranges following the passage of the American Rescue Plan.

Hmmm...I know they say "7,500 in the past month", but they reported 9,971 as of 4/07, so that should mean 7,311 in the past month. Huh.

via Connect for Health Colorado:

Connect for Health Colorado Offers More Savings to More Coloradans on Health Insurance Costs

Many Residents Can Find Coverage for Just A Few Dollars a Month

DENVER – Starting today, Thursday, April 15, Coloradans seeking health insurance can access more savings as a result of the American Rescue Plan (also known as the “COVID relief package”) when they shop through Connect for Health Colorado®. The American Rescue Plan expanded financial help for health insurance plans that people buy via the federal and state health insurance exchanges through 2022. And, for the first time, ever, Colorado individuals and families of all income ranges can qualify for reduced premiums.

“We’re ready and eager to provide these savings to more Coloradans who need relief right away,” said Chief Executive Officer Kevin Patterson. “I encourage those who need coverage to sign up. If you were unable to obtain financial help in the past, now is the time to re-apply. You might be surprised how much you can save.”

What’s Different Now?

This just in via Connect for Health Colorado:

More Coloradans Than Ever Are Using Colorado’s Exchange to Get Covered

DENVER — In a report released today by Connect for Health Colorado, nearly 180,000 Coloradans signed up for a health insurance plan by the end of the Open Enrollment Period on Jan. 15 for 2021 coverage. The new report includes more detailed information about changes to premium costs and financial help by county, the improved customer experience and our outreach tactics.

The main number here is nothing new; C4HCO had already announced the 180K figure back in January. The report itself contains a ton of key demographic stats & details, however, which I'll get to below.

via Connect for Health Colorado:

Connect for Health Colorado Extends Enrollment Period through at least August 15

DENVER — Yesterday afternoon, President Biden announced that the federal health insurance marketplace, HealthCare.gov, will extend the current enrollment period through August 15, 2021, to help as many people as possible get covered following the passage of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

Connect for Heath Colorado® Chief Executive Officer, Kevin Patterson, released the following statement in response:

“We will follow the federal decision so that we can help as many Coloradans as possible get covered this year. Keeping our doors open through at least mid-August maximizes the number of people who can apply for financial help and enroll through our Marketplace, especially as our state recovers from the pandemic. We will share more details soon about how Coloradans who are newly eligible for benefits under the American Rescue Plan can get those additional savings.”

I actually posted this a couple of weeks ago, but am reposting it as a standalone entry for clarity. Via Connect for Health Colorado:

American Rescue Plan Makes Health Insurance More Affordable for More Coloradans Shopping through the Exchange

DENVER — Yesterday afternoon, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021(American Rescue Plan) into law. Connect for Heath Colorado® Chief Executive Officer, Kevin Patterson, released the following statement in response to provisions which strengthen the Affordable Care Act and increase affordability:

“We are thrilled and getting ready to implement the health coverage provisions outlined in this law. This expansion of financial help will provide greater access to savings on the health plans we offer. This means more affordable health insurance for many more Coloradans.”

This just in via Connect for Health Colorado:

One Month In, More Than 4,000 Coloradans Sign Up During Exchange's Uninsured Enrollment Period

DENVER – 4,683 previously uninsured Coloradans signed up for a 2021 health insurance plan through Colorado’s Exchange between Monday, February 8 and the end of day Friday, March 5. That’s more than 1,000 new medical enrollments each week during the first month of Colorado’s Uninsured Enrollment Period.

That's an average of 180/day over 26 days for Colorado. I don't know exactly how many Special Enrollment Period (SEP) enrollees they had during the same time period in prior years, but I can estimate based on their monthly dashboards:

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