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State Public Health Insurance
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Private Health Insurance
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Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance
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| Type of Insurance | Public health insurance programs run by the state of Colorado are Health First Colorado (Colorado’s Medicaid Program) and Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+). | Health insurance plans are run by private insurance companies and you may be responsible for paying for all or some of your coverage. | Health insurance plans are run by private insurance companies and are partially paid for by your employer. |
| When to Enroll | Applications are accepted at any time and you can find out if you qualify at any time during the year. | Plans have defined open enrollment periods. There are also special enrollment periods when certain triggering events occur, such as marriage or the birth of a child. | Employers providing health insurance will typically have an annual open enrollment period for their employees to enroll in the plan. The dates and length of the period are determined by the employer, but will correspond to the start of coverage. For example, if coverage starts January 1st, the open enrollment period will likely be in October, November or December. Check with your employer for details. There are also special enrollment periods when certain triggering events occur, such as marriage or the birth of a child. |
| Cost | Health First Colorado and CHP+ are free or low cost health insurance coverage for Coloradans who qualify. Some Health First Colorado and CHP+ members may have to pay enrollment fees and co-pays (a flat dollar amount fee for a service). | Private health insurance plans are paid for through premium payments. If you do not purchase your plan through an employer, the insurance company should provide information about the frequency and type of payment required for premiums. If you do not have this information, ask the insurance company. In addition to premiums, the healthcare services provided will likely also require payments, typically either co-pays (a flat dollar amount fee for a service), co-insurance (a percentage of the fee for a service), or the entire fee for a healthcare service (if you have a plan that requires payment of all costs, aside from preventive care, until you meet a deductible amount). | If you purchase your plan through your employer, ask about how and when premiums are deducted from your pay. In addition to premiums, the healthcare services provided will likely also require payments, typically either co-pays (a flat dollar amount fee for a service), co-insurance (a percentage of the fee for a service), or the entire fee for a healthcare service (if you have a plan that requires payment of all costs, aside from preventive care, until you meet a deductible amount). |
| Health Care Providers | Health First Colorado and CHP+ are the largest insurance providers in the state. A majority of health care providers in Colorado accept public health insurance. You will need to contact the individual provider to confirm they are taking new patients. To find providers who accept Health First Colorado and CHP+ see Colorado.gov/hcpf/find-doctor. | Providers – doctors, hospitals, and others who provide healthcare services – may vary depending on the health insurance plan and where you live. Find the providers who participate in the plans through Connect for Health Colorado. If you did not purchase your plan from Connect for Health Colorado, contact your insurance company to find out about the providers available in your plan. | Health care providers – doctors, hospitals, and others who provide healthcare services – may vary depending on the health insurance plan and where you live. To find out about the providers available in your plan contact your health insurance company. |
For more information on Federal health insurance programs see Medicare, VA Health Services, TRICARE and Indian Health Services.