Colorado Health Insurance

How healthy is living in Colorado?

Colorado made a major move higher – to #8 – in the 2009 edition of America's Health Rankings. The higher ranking accompanied good news in a handful of categories.

The good news:

• The state saw a 19 percent increase in public health funding from the previous year. At the same time, immunization coverage for young children improved from 67.5 percent to 80.7 percent. Meanwhile, the rate of deaths due to cardiovascular disease declined, as did the prevalence of smoking in the state.
• Colorado continued to score the top rating in the nation for prevalence of obesity, with just 19.1 percent of the population classified as obese.

The bad news:

• The state received low marks for the percentage (64.5 percent) of pregnant women receiving adequate prenatal care.

The state's best and worst category ratings:

• Prevalence of obesity – 1st
• Cancer deaths – 3rd
• Cardiovascular deaths – 4th
• Preventable hospitalizations – 6th
• Air pollution – 8th
• Poor physical health days – 8th
• Immunization coverage – 10th
• Lack of health insurance – 37th
• Prenatal care – 40th
• Geographic disparity – 43rd

See the United Health Foundation's latest findings on Colorado.

Does Colorado have a risk pool for the uninsurable?

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

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Starting in 2010, Colorado will offer health 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.

Cover The Uninsured's guide on finding health insurance in Colorado

Cover The Uninsured is a national effort to highlight the fact that too many Americans are living without health insurance and to demand solutions from our nation's leaders. Read more information on its efforts. It is a project of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

• Cover The Uninsured's facts on the uninsured in Colorado and all other states.
• Its guide on how to find health insurance in Colorado.
• Materiales En Español – Guías para encontrar cobertura de seguro de salud.

Georgetown University's Guide to Health Insurance in Colorado

Georgetown University's Health Policy Institute has researched and written state-by-state guides for finding and keeping health insurance. It updates these guides as federal and state policies change. A number of non-profit organizations help fund its research. Learn more about the Health Policy Institute.

Review Georgetown's guide for Colorado.

USNews health insurance rankings for Colorado

US News does an annual ranking of what it considers the best health insurance plans in each state. Visit its reports on various health insurance or medical insurance plans being offered in Colorado.

Official State Goverment Sites with Colorado Health Insurance Information

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

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 income requirements.

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.

Department of Insurance 2004 Complaint Ratios of Insurance Companies (most recent statistics available) -- PDF documents outlining the number of consumer complaints lodged against insurance companies.

Information about Medicaid in Colorado -- General Questions about Health Care and Medicaid, Medicaid and Managed Care and questions regarding the Web Portal Application

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

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.

Federal Government sites with specific Colorado Information

National Mental Health Information Centers listing of Colorado Mental Health Resources published by the United States Department of Health and Human Services

Colorado population statistics from the US Census Bureau, 2000 Census.

Colorado Health Insurance, Health Care and Consumer Advocacy

A consumer's guide to getting and keeping health insurance in Colorado -- Links to Georgetown University's guide to health insurance in Colorado in PDF form, last updated January 2006.

Health Care for All Colorado -- is a Colorado nonprofit organization working for universal health care under a single-payer system for all people living in Colorado.

Health Care Advocacy Groups in Colorado

Colorado Progressive Action – Colorado Progressive Action has joined with hundreds of nurses, doctors, small business owners, faith-based groups, people of color organizations, women's groups, and seniors to demand and win a guarantee of quality, affordable health care for everyone. Through the Health Care for America Now! Campaign, CPA is mobilizing communities to ensure that the first order of business for the new President and Congress in 2009 will be to pass health care legislation that guarantees quality, affordable health care for all. CPA is also calling for regulation on health insurance companies, who should no longer be allowed to put their profits before Americans' health.