Health insurance exchange extends enrollment season – Business Times of Western Colorado

Ashley Thurow

In just a month, 2022 has brought a surge of COVID-19 cases due to the omicron variant as well as the Marshall Fire, which destroyed more homes than any wildfire in Colorado history.

To state the obvious, these twin emergencies represent real lives that have been affected. If you or a loved one has found yourself without health insurance benefits because of COVID-19’s far-reaching economic effects or the devastation caused by the Marshall Fire, then this message is for you. 

Our state insurance exchange, Connect for Health Colorado, has opened an emergency special enrollment period for families, individuals or small business owners whose health benefits have been or will be affected by these two emergencies. The new special open enrollment period provides a two-month extension to Colorado’s regular season, which ended on Jan. 15, and is now open to those in need until March 16. 

Monument Health is proud to be involved in this offering through a cobranded product we manage across the Western Slope with Rocky Mountain Health Plans. We’re especially proud because it comes at a time when our hard work to disrupt the current system of “sick care” to achieve our mission of better care, healthier communities and reduced costs has resulted in price reductions to our product on the exchange and real savings for Coloradans who need it. 

Emergency enrollment ends on March 16. But if you experience a life-changing event — losing your health insurance due to job loss, for example — you can buy health insurance on Connect for Health Colorado within 60 days of that event. Subsidies could be available to you and your family to help cover expenses during this time, making coverage and the peace of mind that comes with it a reasonable possibility. 

If you feel overwhelmed hearing this news because you don’t know where to start or how to apply for health insurance benefits, resources are available to help. 

Hilltop Community Resources, a nonprofit organization based in Grand Junction, operates a health access office with a team ready to assist you. They can help you determine your eligibility and walk you through the application process. Contact them at (970) 244-0850 or https://hilltopshealthaccess.org.

Working directly with Connect for Health Colorado offers another option.  You can review helpful information at https://connectforhealthco.com or take advantage of Connect for Health enrollment centers in Western Colorado. Although they don’t allow walk-ins at this time due to heightened social distancing guidance, you can locate the closest center near you at https://connectforhealthco.com/enrollment-center and call to schedule a virtual appointment.

Contacting a local health insurance broker constitutes yet another great way to learn about your options.

Thanks to statewide leadership and Coloradans committed to helping one another, our state and communities have been nimble and responsive during this uncertain time in our history. Monument Health is proud to be part of the solution.

Ashley Thurow is executive director of Monument Health, a clinically integrated network based in Grand Junction. She’s passionate about improving health care through collaboration and industry disruption and brings 15 years of experience in value-based care models to Monument Health. Reach her at Ashley.Thurow@monumenthealth.net.