Health Coverage Enrollment Center
Our services are free, unbiased, and confidential.
We help with health insurance, including enrollment in the right coverage for you. Our local Health Coverage Guides, certified by Connect for Health Colorado, have been providing support to Boulder County residents since 2013.
- Learn — the different health insurance programs that help with costs
- Help — appointment types, what to bring, and next steps
- Use — how to make the most of your health coverage
- Resources — download information and flyers for residents and staff
Learn more about Health Insurance
Important Updates for Plan Year 2025
Changes in Financial Assistance
- For plan year 2025, fewer Coloradans will be eligible for Cost-Sharing Reductions (CSRs).
- Households with incomes between 200-250% of the federal poverty level will receive less reduction on silver plan co-pays, deductibles, and co-insurances, decreasing to 73% actuarial value plans from 94% in 2024.
- Meet with a Health Coverage Guide to explore all your options for 2025.
DACA Recipients
- Starting November 1, 2024, DACA recipients are eligible for Connect for Health Plans.
- During Open Enrollment, DACA recipients in OmniSalud should enroll through Connect for Health Colorado.
Medicaid for Undocumented Pregnant People and Children (0-18)
Who Qualifies: Undocumented pregnant people and undocumented children living in (0-18), including those with DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) status.
Coverage Details: Full health insurance benefits will be available for those who are otherwise eligible for Medicaid/CHP+, including 12 months of postpartum coverage.
Important Note: This program will cover children and pregnant persons regardless of immigration status starting January 1, 2025.
Health insurance basics
A plan you buy that pays for some or all the health care costs for you and your family.
Government programs – related to age, income, employment, or immigration status – can greatly reduce health care costs.
Government programs that help with costs
Programs are based on household income, age, and citizenship status:
- Connect for Health Colorado is the state’s Marketplace where individuals, families, and small employers can shop for and buy health insurance. It offers programs that can help lower costs for people who are not eligible for Medicaid or employer-based coverage.
- OmniSalud provides undocumented Coloradans an opportunity to have health insurance. Full-price plans are available to all; and a limited number of very low-cost plans ($100/individual deductible per year), are available for low-income households (examples: 2-person household earning under $29,580; 4-person household earning under $45,000)
- Medicare, for people over 65 who worked and paid taxes for ~10 years, provides various options for subsidized health coverage.
- Medicare Savings Program helps those who qualify with costs related to Medicare.
- Health First Colorado (Medicaid) and Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) provide low or no cost public health insurance with a wide range of services for medical, behavioral, mental and reproductive health services.
- Emergency Medicaid, for those without legal status, provides limited coverage for life- or limb- threatening medical emergencies and family planning services.
- Colorado Indigent Care Program (CICP) provides discounted health care services for people who qualify.
When to apply or enroll
- Open Enrollment, November 1 – January 15, annually, is when you can apply for Marketplace or OmniSalud health coverage. Outside of Open Enrollment a Life Change Event is needed to buy Marketplace health insurance during a Special Enrollment Period. Life Change Events include things like losing job-based health insurance, getting married, having a baby, or moving.
- Medicaid & CHP+ are open to apply and enroll anytime all year long. Apply.
- Medicare Open Enrollment is October 15 – December 7, annually.
Health Plan Basics
Health Insurance Explained
Health Insurance Explained
Copays
Copays
Deductibles & Coinsurance
Deductibles & Coinsurance
Prescription Pricing
Prescription Pricing
Out-of-Pocket Maximum
Out-of-Pocket Maximum
Get Help with Health Insurance
- Navigate, apply, and enroll in health insurance.
- Appointments are in English or Spanish or via a language line if needed.
- Update an account or enroll on your own through Connect for Health Colorado.
- Update an account or enroll on your own for OmniSalud.
- Update an account or enroll on your own for Medicaid or CHP+.
If you have an account, it is important that you come to your appointment with USERNAMES and PASSWORDS for Connect for Health Colorado and/or PEAK.
In-Person Appointment
We offer in-person assistance every 2 nd Tuesday of each month at the St. Vrain Community HUB (515 Coffman St., Longmont, 80501)
To schedule your in person appointment, call 303-441-4530 or email healthcoverage@bouldercounty.gov.
General Questions
(30 minutes)
- Get answers to questions
- Trouble-shoot an issue
- Report a simple change
New or Renewing Coverage
(60 minutes)
- Submit an online renewal
- Apply for health insurance
- Losing existing coverage
- Report a complex change
OmniSalud
Re-enrollment for Current Enrollees: November 1 – November 23, 2024
- Action Required: Current enrollees in OmniSalud Silver Enhanced Savings $0 plans must log in, complete a new application, and enroll in coverage for next year. This process is not automatic. Eligibility requirements, including income, still apply.
General Enrollment: 8 a.m. on November 25, 2024 – January 15, 2025
- Spaces are limited for $0 plans for 2025. Anyone can apply for any remaining Silver Enhanced Saving spots at this time.
- Once the $0 plans are gone, the full-price plans will continue to be available until January 15. There is no limit on the number of full-price plans available.
Before appointment
- Gather and bring current usernames, and passwords for Connect for Health Colorado and/or PEAK accounts.
- To update or reset Connect for Health Colorado password.
- To update or reset Colorado PEAK password.
- Gather and bring relevant information.
- Premium – Money you pay for health insurance every month.
- Deductible – Money you pay each year before health insurance pays (Many preventive services are free even when you have not paid any deductible).
- Copay – A flat rate you pay for a covered health service.
- Out-Of-Pocket Maximum – The most you pay yearly before your health insurance pays 100% of covered services.
- Network – The providers your insurer contracts with for services are in-network; others are out-of-network. In-network usually cost less than out-of-network providers. If you have existing providers, come with that information.
After appointment
- Troubleshooting – We will specify next steps during your appointment. If you have further questions, contact us at healthcoverage@bouldercounty.gov.
- Connect for Health Colorado Enrollment
- You are only enrolled in your health insurance plan after you make your first premium payment directly to your insurance company. If you did not make your first premium payment during your appointment, do so as soon as possible to ensure enrollment.
- Call your insurance company 7-10 days after paying your first month’s premium to confirm that payment was received and that your plan is activated.
- 2-3 weeks after you enrolled, a membership package will be sent from your insurance company that includes health insurance card/s for everyone insured.
- Generally, you receive program eligibility and financial assistance results immediately. Sometimes, your county office or Connect for Health Colorado will follow up to request additional information.
- Find information about your application or benefits in your PEAK account.
- See the Health First Colorado member handbook.
- For renewals you will receive a confirmation (Notice of Action) usually within 7-10 days.
- 2-3 weeks after you enrolled, a membership package will be sent from your insurance company that includes health insurance card/s for everyone insured.
- For FULL-COST ONLY: You are only enrolled in your health insurance plan after you make your first premium payment directly to your insurance company. If you did not make your first premium payment during your appointment, do so as soon as possible to ensure enrollment. Call your insurance company 7-10 days after paying your first month’s premium to confirm that payment was received and that your plan is activated.
When there are household changes
- Report household changes such as changes to income, household size, pregnancy, citizenship status, or loss of job-related insurance, etc., within 10 days for Health First Colorado members, and within 30 days for Connect for Health Colorado customers.
- If you are enrolled in a Connect for Health Colorado plan with financial assistance, after your change is reported, your eligibility for tax credits may change.
- If your income goes up or you lose a household member you may qualify for less tax credit. If you don’t report the change, you could have to pay money back when you file your federal tax return.
- If your income goes down or you gain a household member you could qualify for more tax credit, or you could qualify for free or low-cost coverage.
- If there is a change in your tax credit or cost-share amounts, you may remain in your existing plan with revised financial assistance, or purchase a new plan, or make changes to your existing plan – within 60 days.
- If you are Marketplace-eligible but no longer eligible for financial assistance, you may continue your existing plan or purchase a new plan without financial assistance or cancel the existing plan – within 60 days.
- If you are eligible; you may enroll in Health First Colorado (Medicaid) or Child Health Plan Plus or continue with your existing Marketplace plan without financial assistance, with Medicaid as a second payer.
For Connect for Health Colorado tax-filing
- Premium Tax Credits are often received in advance (APTC) to help pay for premiums, so when taxes are filed, the IRS reconciles the APTC amount paid on your behalf with the amount that you were due based on your actual reported income. If the premium tax credit calculated on your return is more than the advance credit payments made on your behalf during the year, the difference will increase your refund or lower the amount of tax you owe. This will be reported in the ‘Payments’ section of Form 1040.
- If the advance tax credit payments are more than the amount you are due, you will add all or a portion of the excess advance credit payments made on your behalf to your tax liability by entering it in the ‘Tax and Credits’ section of your tax return. This will result in either a smaller refund or a larger balance due.
