Boulder County Enrollment Center

Help With Your Monthly Premium

Colorado Premium Assistance will continue in 2027. It lowers your premium, which is the amount you pay each month for your health insurance plan. You may get this help if you qualify for Premium Tax Credits. For 2027, that means your household earns $62,600 a year or less for one person, or $128,600 a year or less for a family of four. This is 400% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).

If you qualify, you’ll get:

• $70 a month off your premium for the first person in your household
• $25 a month off your premium for each other person in your household

For example, a family of four could save up to $145 a month. You don’t need to sign up for this help. Connect for Health Colorado adds it to your account automatically.

New Federal Rules Change Who Can Get Financial Help

Starting Jan. 1, 2027, new federal rules limit who can get help paying for a Connect for Health Colorado plan. Only these groups will still qualify:

• U.S. citizens and U.S. nationals
• Lawful permanent residents, also called green card holders
• Cuban and Haitian entrants
• People from Palau, the Marshall Islands, and Micronesia who live in the U.S. under the Compact of Free Association (COFA)

If this change affects you, Connect for Health Colorado will send you a letter before open enrollment starts. You may still be able to buy a plan at full price. Our guides can help you look at your options.

Medicaid for Undocumented Pregnant People and Children will continue available (0–18)

Effective Jan. 1, 2025, undocumented children and pregnant people can get full health insurance coverage, even without immigration status.

Who qualifies:

• Undocumented children ages 0–18
• Undocumented pregnant people
• This includes people with DACA

What’s covered:

• Full Medicaid or CHP+ benefits
• 12 months of postpartum care after giving birth (if eligible)

Health insurance is a plan you buy that helps pay for medical care for you and your family.

Key Health Insurance Terms

Premium: The amount you pay monthly for health insurance.

Deductible: The amount you pay annually before your insurance begins to cover expenses.

Copay: A fixed fee you pay for specific services, such as a doctor’s visit.

Out-of-Pocket Maximum: The maximum amount you will pay in a year for covered care.

Network: The group of doctors and clinics associated with your plan. Receiving in-network care generally incurs lower costs.

Programs That Help Lower Healthcare Costs

There are government programs that can make healthcare much more affordable. These programs depend on things like your income, age, immigration status, or job situation.

Connect for Health Colorado

• This is the state’s official place to shop for and buy health insurance.
• You may qualify for help paying costs if you don’t qualify for Medicaid or coverage through a job.

OmniSalud

• This program helps undocumented Coloradans get health insurance.
• Anyone can buy a full-price plan. Some households with lower incomes can get a low-cost plan with lower deductibles, copays, and coinsurance.
• To qualify for a low-cost plan, your household must earn less than:
  • $32,460 a year for two people
  • $49,500 a year for four people

Changes to Low-Cost OmniSalud Plans in 2027

Starting in 2027, low-cost plans will have a monthly premium of $15 for each person in your household on the plan.

If you have a low-cost plan now:

• Your spot is saved for 2027.
• You must reapply and re-enroll between Sunday, Nov. 1, and Monday, Nov. 30.

If you want a low-cost plan:

• Enter the lottery for the remaining spots between Sunday, Nov. 1, and Monday, Nov. 30.
• You will get your results on Tuesday, Dec. 1.
• The lottery is free. If anyone asks you to pay to enter, it is a scam.

Medicare

For people 65 and older who worked and paid taxes for about 10 years. It offers different options for health insurance at lower cost.

Medicare Savings Program

Helps people with Medicare pay for premiums and other costs.

Medicaid (Health First Colorado) and CHP+ (Child Health Plan Plus)

These are free or low-cost health insurance programs for people who meet the eligibility criteria. They cover many services, including medical, mental health, and reproductive healthcare.

Emergency Medicaid

For undocumented people. Covers life-threatening emergencies and family planning services.

Colorado’s Hospital Discounted Care (HDC) Program

Hospital Discounted Care limits the cost of hospital care for low-income Coloradans receiving services through hospitals’ financial assistance programs.

Enrollment periods vary by program.

Connect for Health Colorado and OmniSalud

Open Enrollment Period:

Nov. 1 to Jan. 15 each year.

Special Enrollment Period:

You may be able to apply outside of Open Enrollment if you have a Life Change Event, like:

• Losing insurance from your job
• Getting married
• Having a baby
• Moving to a new address

Medicaid (Health First Colorado) or CHP+ (Child Health Plan Plus):

You can apply on Colorado PEAK any time during the year.

Medicare:

Open Enrollment is from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 each year.

The Boulder County Enrollment Center does not handle Medicare enrollments.

If you need Medicare help, contact the Boulder County Area Agency on Aging. Their Medicare counselors give free, unbiased advice and can compare your current plan with other options.

We can help you:

• Apply for new health insurance
• Renew or update your current plan
• Troubleshoot issues with your account
• Answer your questions about health insurance

Programs we can help you with:

• Connect for Health Colorado
• OmniSalud
• Medicaid (Health First Colorado) or CHP+ (Child Health Plan Plus)

Connect for Health Colorado:

• Update an account or enroll on your own through Connect for Health Colorado.

Omnisalud:

• Update an account or enroll on your own for Omnisalud.

Medicaid or CHP+:

• Update an account or enroll on your own for Medicaid (Health First Colorado) or CHP+ (Child Health Plan Plus).

During Open Enrollment, we offer in-person appointments on these Mondays:

• Nov. 9
• Nov. 16
• Nov. 30
• Dec. 7
• Dec. 14
• Jan. 4, 2027

Location:
St. Vrain Community HUB
515 Coffman St., Longmont, CO 80501

To schedule, call 303-441-4530 or email healthcoverage@bouldercounty.gov.

Please have these items ready:

• Your username and password for:
  • Connect for Health Colorado
  • Colorado PEAK (for Medicaid (Health First Colorado) or CHP+ (Child Health Plan Plus))
• Information about your current doctors or providers
• Any letters or notices about your health insurance

Tips:

• Update or reset your account password before your visit.
• Browse plan options on Connect for Health Colorado ahead of time.

Your next steps depend on the type of coverage you enrolled in:

Connect for Health Colorado plans

• You’re not fully enrolled until you pay your first monthly premium.
• If you didn’t pay during your appointment, pay as soon as possible.
• Call your insurance company 7–10 days after paying to confirm they received it and that your coverage is active.
• Within 2–3 weeks, you’ll get a welcome packet and insurance card(s).

Health First Colorado (Medicaid) or CHP+

• Boulder County has up to 45 business days to process your application or renewal.
• You may be asked for more information later.
• To check your status, log in to your PEAK account.
• You can also read the Health First Colorado Member Handbook for details.

OmniSalud plans

• You’ll get your welcome packet with insurance card(s) within 2–3 weeks after you enroll.
• Both low-cost and full cost OmniSalud require the payment of a monthly premium.
• You’re not fully enrolled until you pay.
• Call your insurance company 7–10 days after the day you enrolled to make your payment.

Still have questions?

Email us at healthcoverage@bouldercounty.gov

You must report certain changes in your household, such as:

• Income changes
• Household size changes (someone moves in or out)
• Pregnancy
• Changes in citizenship or immigration status
• Loss of job-based insurance

When to Report Changes

• Medicaid (Health First Colorado) or CHP+ (Child Health Plan Plus) members: within 10 days
• Connect for Health Colorado and OmniSalud customers: within 30 days

Why It Matters

Reporting changes can affect your tax credits or financial help:

• If income goes up or someone leaves your household, you may get less help. If you don’t report the change, you may owe money at tax time.
• If income goes down or someone joins your household, you may qualify for more help or even free or low-cost coverage.

What Happens Next

If your financial help changes, you can:

• Stay in your current plan with the new amount, or
• Choose a new plan (within 60 days)

If you no longer qualify for help, you can:

• Stay in your current plan and pay full price, or
• Pick a new full-price plan (within 60 days), or
• Cancel your plan

If you qualify for Medicaid (Health First Colorado) or CHP+ (Child Health Plan Plus):

• You can enroll in Medicaid or CHP+ and cancel your marketplace plan, or
• Keep your marketplace plan at full price and use Medicaid as secondary coverage

Many people get Premium Tax Credits in advance (called APTC) to lower their monthly health insurance costs.

At tax time, the IRS checks:

• How much APTC was paid for you during the year
• How much you should have received based on your actual income

If you should have received more credit:

• You’ll get the difference in your tax refund, or
• It will lower the amount of tax you owe

If you received too much credit:

• Starting in 2026, you’ll have to pay back the extra amount
• This will either reduce your refund or increase the taxes you owe

When seeking out care, you always want to stay in-network. Marketplace plans do not pay for care from out-of-network providers. Providers can change networks at any time, so always confirm your doctor or clinic is in-network before you go.

There are different places to go for care depending on the situation:

Primary Care Provider (PCP)

This is who you see for everyday health needs. You can schedule one free checkup with your PCP every year.

Mental Health Provider

All health plans include mental healthcare. Ask your provider for therapy or counseling if needed.

24-Hour Nurse Line

Call this line anytime to explain your symptoms and ask what to do next.

Urgent Care Clinics

Go here for non-emergencies like earaches, sore throats, sprains, minor cuts, burns, or migraines. Urgent care clinics typically cost less than the emergency room.

Emergency Room (ER) or Hospital

Go here for serious or life-threatening emergencies only. Emergency rooms are always open. This is the most expensive option.

Your health insurance covers many services at no cost to you, even if you haven’t met your deductible. These include:

• Annual Wellness Visit and Women’s Wellness Visit
• Over a dozen different health screenings
• Nutrition counseling for adults at risk for chronic disease
• Fall prevention programs for adults 65 and older
• 14 different vaccines (immunizations to prevent sickness)
• Counseling to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
• Statin medications to prevent heart disease