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Connect for Health Colorado says state premium assistance helped blunt enrollment losses after federal subsidy changes
Summary
Connect for Health Colorado told legislators that state premium assistance and targeted outreach reduced expected enrollment losses after federal premium tax credit changes; the marketplace said sign‑ups were slightly below last year and that more granular county and zip‑code data will follow.
Kevin Patterson, CEO of Connect for Health Colorado, briefed the Joint Health Committee on how the state's marketplace handled open enrollment amid the expiration of enhanced federal premium tax credits.
Patterson said coordinated state action and the Colorado Premium Assistance Program helped stabilize coverage for many households that lost federal subsidy eligibility. "Colorado premium assistance has been critical as a stabilizer for our populations," he said, noting that more than 26,000 customers who previously received enhanced help no longer qualified at plan year 2026 under federal rules but many remained served by a combination of state and federal assistance.
He described the exchange’s community outreach network — brokers and assisters offering help in more than 22 languages — and digital tools such as an "Estimate & Explore" feature to let consumers anonymously estimate realistic costs. Patterson also said the exchange is self‑funded through an issuer assessment and that the organization has implemented audit recommendations identified in recent reviews; he denied that auditors found fraud and said the findings related to documentation and accounting classifications for events.
Legislators pressed on premium impacts and event sponsorship accounting; Patterson said the exchange does not set insurer rates, which are filed with the Division of Insurance, and that the exchange posts board materials and corrective actions publicly. He told members more granular analyses—by county and ZIP code—will be available later in the session.
