DENVER – Despite having 22 fewer days to sign up for health insurance coverage, just about 6,600 fewer people signed up for insurance through the state Affordable Care Act marketplace, Connect for Health Colorado, this year than they did last year.
A total of 165,777 insurance plans were picked by people during this year’s enrollment period – Dec. 1, 2017 through Jan. 12, 2018 – which was up 3 percent from the same time period during last year’s enrollment.
When the enrollment period for 2017 ended on Feb. 3 of last year, 172,361 plans had been picked through Connect for Health Colorado.
Twenty-three percent of those who picked plans for 2018 were new customers, while 77 percent used the state marketplace to sign up for health insurance.
Connect for Health Colorado CEO Kevin Patterson called the results “positive” and said the numbers were in line with what the nonprofit had hoped for.
“Despite the uncertainty that created some confusion in the market, we have seen volumes that nearly match last year’s longer Open Enrollment Period,” Patterson said. “I am happy to see so many families and individuals put this protection for their health and financial well-being in place for the year.”
People whose 2017 plan wasn’t offered for 2018 have through March 1 to sign up for coverage, and if you’ve had a life-changing event, you have 60 days from the time of that event to enroll in 2018 coverage as well.
Patterson said further data would be released in coming weeks.
