Colorado Health Insurance

How healthy is living
in Colorado?

Colorado is trending healthier, with its overall ranking climbing four spots from #13 to #9, according to the 2011 America's Health Rankings® by the United Health Foundation.

The good news:

• The percentage of uninsured Coloradans has fell from 15.6 percent ot 13.8 percent over the past year.
• Smoking among adults has declined – falling from 19.8 percent to 16 percent of adults – over the past five years.

The bad news:

• Despite the fact that Colorado is ranked #1 for having the lowest obesity rate in the nation, the number of obese in the state has risen by 360,000 over the past decade.
• Over the past five years, diabetes has also increased – from 4.8 percent to 6.0 percent of adults.
• The percentage of children in poverty has increased from 10.9 percent to 18.5 percent over the past decade.

Colorado's best and worst category rankings:

• Obesity – 1st
• Diabetes – 2nd
• Cancer Deaths – 3rd
• Cardiovascular Deaths – 4th
• Air Pollution – 5th
• Immunization Coverage – 32nd
• Early Prenatal Care – 37th
• Geographic Disparityn – 45th

more details

• See the United Health Foundation's latest findings on Colorado.
• Trust for America's Health ia another source for key Colorado health quality findings. In addition, 2010's federal health reform, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), included the creation of a prevention fund to provide more than $16 billion over the next 10 years to invest in effective, proven prevention efforts, like childhood obesity prevention and tobacco cessation, and the site has a report on how it impacts Colorado here.

get local health results

State snapshot too large? Get county-by-county health rankings for Colorado, from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Population Health Institute at the University of Wisconsin.

Does Colorado have a health insurance high risk pool?

CoverColorado
(303) 863-1960 or toll-free 1-866-787-9129 (M-F 8am–5pm)

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Starting in 2010, Colorado started offering health care insurance coverage to residents through the federally established temporary high-risk pool program. To find out more about Colorado's participation, click here.

Risk pools are state-sponsored programs to help people with a history of medical problems in their family to purchase coverage. These pools are for people who can afford to buy health insurance, but are not able to get underwritten in the private market because of a pre-existing health condition. These programs can vary significantly from state to state in price, benefits and number of people served. Often insurance companies doing business in the state are required to contribute to the pool to keep it in the black. In the best cases, they allow people to be able to switch jobs or become self-employed without the fear of losing their health insurance coverage. Read more about risk pools here.

Non-profit sources of health insurance information for Colorado

• The Foundation for Health Coverage Education's mission is to provide simplified public and private health insurance eligibility information in order to help more people access coverage. Here is its guide to guide on how to find health insurance in Colorado.
• The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is tracking the progress of health insurance reform in each state. Its page for Colorado can be found here.
• The National Committee for Quality Assurance is a private, non-profit organization that, among other things, provides health care plan report cards for consumers. Search for Colorado health insurance plan report cards.

Colorado state government health insurance resources

Health reform in Colorado —  How the state will implement the provisions of the Affordable Care Act.

Colorado Medicaid —  Medicaid is the government program to help poor and indigent get health care services. Pregnant women and children 18 and under who meet income requirements may be eligible for Medicaid, as well as the aged, blind and disabled.

Colorado Senior Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) —  Colorado Senior Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) provides free counseling for Medicare beneficiaries with questions about Medicare.

Information about Medicaid in Colorado —  General Questions about Health Care and Medicaid.

Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing —  The state agency responsible for the administration of the Medicaid program, Child Health Plan Plus, and the Colorado Indigent Care program, the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing.

Colorado coverage for children and pregnant women —  Child Health Plan Plus is a low-cost health insurance program for uninsured Colorado children ages 18 and under whose families earn or own too much to qualify for Medicaid but cannot afford private insurance. The CHP+ Prenatal Care Program offers free health insurance to uninsured Colorado pregnant women who live in households that meet certain [...]

State of Colorado Division of Insurance —  The State of Colorado’s department of insurance provides official information all types of insurance. Having trouble resolving a claims dispute with your health insurance company? You can file a complaint with this online complaint form, or write: Colorado Division of Insurance 1560 Broadway, Suite 850 Denver, CO 80202 Phone: 303.894.7499 OR 800.930.3745 Read the rest [...]

Connecticut Health Reinsurance Association —  Toll-free 1-800-842-0004 (M-F 9am-4pm EST)

How did Colorado officials vote on health reform?

H.R.2: Repealing the Health Care Bill

#14

Date of Vote: 1/19/2011 Status: House passed 245-189, 1 not voting

HOUSE|SENATE

1/19/2011--Passed House amended. Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act - Repeals the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, effective as of its enactment. Restores provisions of law amended by such Act. Repeals the health care provisions of the Health Care and Education and Reconciliation Act of 2010, effective as of the Act's enactment. Restores provisions of law amended by the Act's health care provisions. [more]

Yes (4)

• Mike Coffman
• Cory Gardner

• Doug Lamborn
• Scott Tipton

Our
Pick

No (3)

• Diana DeGette
• Ed Perlmutter

• Jared Polis