Colorado health insurance questions, answered.
Answers from licensed agents about buying your own coverage in Colorado, organized by topic.
Getting started
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Open enrollment runs from November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027. If you enroll by December 15, coverage starts January 1. If you enroll between December 16 and January 15, it starts February 1.
No. The enhanced federal premium tax credits expired after 2025 and had not been restored as of September 2026. Federal help is limited to households between 100% and 400% of the poverty level, though Colorado Premium Assistance adds state money for many of them.
The Colorado Option is a set of standardized Bronze, Silver and Gold plans that insurers must offer in the individual market. State law requires insurers to lower these plans' premiums against a 2021 baseline, and the plans include $0 primary care and mental health visits. About half of exchange enrollees chose one in 2026.
Leaving a job
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Up to 18 months, or until you become eligible for other group coverage, whichever comes first. You must have been on the plan for at least six months in a row before losing it, and it applies to fully insured group plans.
You must elect it in writing and pay within 30 days after your job ends. If your employer did not give you the required notice, you have 60 days. That is shorter than the election window under federal COBRA.
It often is if your income for the year will be lower after leaving work, because COBRA and state continuation charge the full premium. A Marketplace plan may come with federal tax credits and Colorado Premium Assistance. Losing job-based coverage usually gives you 60 days to enroll.
Early retirement
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Possibly. Federal tax credits are based on your expected household income for the year, and they are available from 100% to 400% of the poverty level. Colorado Premium Assistance adds a monthly amount in that range. Above 400%, you would pay full price.
Starting January 1, 2027, Health First Colorado will apply work requirements to most adults 19 to 64 when they apply or renew. You would need 80 hours a month of work, school, volunteering or a work program, or at least $580 a month in earnings, unless you qualify for an exemption.
KFF reports the 2026 average benchmark Silver premium for a 40-year-old in Colorado was $557 a month before subsidies. Premiums rise with age, so someone in their late 50s or early 60s will usually pay much more, and prices vary by county.
Self-employed
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No. Colorado does not have a state coverage mandate or tax penalty for going without health insurance.
For 2026, it added $80 a month for the primary applicant and $29 a month for each other person on the policy, on top of federal tax credits, for households from 100% to 400% of the poverty level. A 2026 state law continues the program for 2027.
Connect for Health Colorado reported an average net premium of about $131 a month in 2026 for customers getting federal tax credits and Colorado Premium Assistance. Customers without any financial help paid about $616 a month on average.
Short-term plans
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No insurer currently sells short-term health plans in Colorado. State rules limit them to six months with no renewal and require them to meet many regular health plan standards, so insurers left the market.
No. In August 2025 the federal government said it would stop enforcing its 2024 four-month limit, but Colorado's own stricter rules still apply. A licensed agent can help you compare Marketplace plans or continuation coverage instead.
A Marketplace plan during open enrollment or a special enrollment period, Colorado state continuation or COBRA after a job loss, or Health First Colorado if your income is low. Each of these covers pre-existing conditions.
Non-ACA options
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Yes, but they are not insurance and are not required to pay claims. Colorado requires them to report enrollment, financial and claims data to the Division of Insurance every year.
No. A fixed-indemnity plan pays a set dollar amount for things like a hospital day or office visit, no matter what the care actually costs. It is not ACA coverage, so it does not have to cover pre-existing conditions or essential benefits, and it does not qualify for tax credits.
OmniSalud lets Coloradans who cannot use the regular exchange because of immigration status buy coverage. Limited SilverEnhanced Savings spots, for households under 150% of the poverty level, are filled by returning members first and then by lottery.
Insurers
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Six insurers sold through the state exchange for 2026: Anthem, Cigna, Elevate Health Plans by Denver Health Medical Plan, Kaiser Permanente, Rocky Mountain Health Plans (UnitedHealthcare) and Select Health. Which ones you can buy depends on your county.
Cigna is leaving Colorado's individual medical market, so you will need to pick a new plan for 2027 during open enrollment. Enroll by December 15, 2026 to avoid a gap on January 1.
The Colorado Division of Insurance approved an average individual-market increase of about 10% for 2027, ranging from 5.9% to 15.5% depending on the region. The state estimates financially assisted customers will see a net increase of about $20 a month with Colorado Premium Assistance.
Sources
Reviewed October 2026. Rules and prices change every year; a licensed agent will confirm what applies to you.
- Connect for Health Colorado: State Solutions to Counter Rising Costs (July 31, 2026)
- Connect for Health Colorado: News (SB26-178 becomes law; 2027 early look)
- Connect for Health Colorado: Annual Open Enrollment Report (April 24, 2026)
- Connect for Health Colorado: Preparing for Plan Year 2027 (August 31, 2026)
- Connect for Health Colorado: Health Insurance Companies
- Connect for Health Colorado: OmniSalud
- Colorado Division of Insurance: Final ACA premium increases for plan year 2027 (September 2026)
- healthinsurance.org: Colorado ACA marketplace
- KFF: Marketplace Average Benchmark Premiums
- KFF: Medicaid Income Eligibility Limits for Adults
- Health First Colorado: New work requirements
- C.R.S. 10-16-108 (continuation of group coverage)
- healthinsurance.org: Short-term health insurance in Colorado
- Colorado Division of Insurance: First annual report on health care sharing plans and arrangements
- Colorado Division of Insurance: Colorado Option premium rate reduction regulation
- U.S. Department of Labor: COBRA continuation coverage
- HealthCare.gov: Special enrollment periods
See what you'd actually pay.
A licensed agent will compare plans from every insurer in your Colorado county, check your subsidy, and walk you through the options. No cost, no obligation.