Nearly 167,000 Colorado residents signed up for 2020 health insurance through the state's official marketplace. That represents a slight decline from last year, although on average rates of enrollment have remained steady for the past couple years.
Connect for Health Colorado, the state insurance exchange set up through Obamacare, announced the final numbers of enrollees after open enrollment closed Wednesday.
Last year, the exchange reported nearly 171,000 Coloradans signed up for health coverage for 2019 by the close of open enrollment in mid-January. The year before, it saw almost 166,000 medical enrollments over the same span of time.
“This has been another successful open enrollment period,” said Connect for Health Colorado CEO Kevin Patterson in a statement. He said the exchange will keep working to increase access, affordability and choice for residents.
About 20 percent of the customers are new and the rest returned to buy individual plans on the exchange.
Outside the open enrollment period, Coloradans can only sign up for a health plan on the exchange if they have a significant life event like losing job-based insurance, losing Medicaid or some family changes.According to the Wall Street Journal, the administration has taken a number of steps to limit the reach of the Affordable Care Act since Congress failed to repeal it. That includes cuts to funding for outreach and publicity about ACA enrollment by 90 percent. The administration also reduced funding for groups that help consumers sign up for coverage by 40 percent.
