Colorado Highlights
6 Colorado's 2020 Rank
To learn more about state rank, visit our 2020 Scorecard on State Health System Performance.
Source: Commonwealth Fund 2020
Key Demographics
| Colorado | US Average | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Population | 5,604,602 | 322,324,172 |
| Median Household Income | $76,742 | $67,877 |
| Below 200% of Federal Poverty Level (FPL) | 25% | 30% |
| % White Race, Non-Hispanic | 68% | 60% |
| % Black Race, Non-Hispanic | 4% | 12% |
| % Other Race, Non-Hispanic | 7% | 9% |
| % Hispanic Ethnicity | 22% | 18% |
Key Health Policies in Colorado
Colorado Performance Data
Colorado Policy Data
| Policy | Source | Action Taken | Notes | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medicaid expansion status | The Commonwealth Fund | 1 | Traditionally expanded Medicaid | - |
| Medicaid work requirement status | The Commonwealth Fund | 0 | No work requirement status | - |
| Affordable Care Act health insurance marketplace type | Center on Health Insurance Reforms, Georgetown University Health Policy Institute | 3 | State-based marketplace (14 states plus DC) | The state is responsible for all marketplace functions, including health plan management, consumer assistance, eligibility and enrollment, financing, and marketing and outreach. The state manages its own marketplace website where individuals can enroll in coverage. |
| State requirements for individuals to maintain adequate health coverage (individual mandates) | J. Giovannelli, K. Lucia, and S. Corlette, "To Understand How Consumers Are Faring in the Individual Health Insurance Markets, Watch the States." The Commonwealth Fund | 0 | Does not require individuals to maintain adequate health coverage | - |
| State subsidies for individual market coverage | J. Giovannelli, K. Lucia, and S. Corlette, "To Understand How Consumers Are Faring in the Individual Health Insurance Markets, Watch the States."The Commonwealth Fund | 2 | Provides premium and cost-sharing subsidies | Beginning in 2022, state will provide cost-sharing subsidies for marketplace enrollees with incomes from 150-200% FPL (subsidies are in addition to federal cost-sharing assistance). Beginning in 2023, state will also provide premium subsidies for enrollees with incomes up to 300% FPL who are not eligible for federal premium tax credits. |
| State regulation of short-term limited duration coverage | J. Giovannelli, K. Lucia, and S. Corlette, "To Understand How Consumers Are Faring in the Individual Health Insurance Markets, Watch the States." The Commonwealth Fund | 1 | Sets stricter limits on the sale of short-term coverage than the federal government | Does not prohibit underwritten short-term coverage; Limits the initial contract duration of underwritten short-term coverage to 6 months; Does not limit the total length of time a consumer may be enrolled in underwritten short-term coverage to less than 364 days |
| State decisions to extend the annual open enrollment period for ACA marketplace coverage | J. Giovannelli, K. Lucia, and S. Corlette, "To Understand How Consumers Are Faring in the Individual Health Insurance Markets, Watch the States." The Commonwealth Fund | 2 | Extended open enrollment from 2018–2021 | Extended the 2021 open enrollment period through Jan. 15, 2021 and also from Feb. 8, 2021 through Aug. 15, 2021; Extended the 2018 open enrollment period through Jan. 12, 2018, the 2019 open enrollment period through Jan. 15, 2019, and the 2020 open enrollment period through Jan. 15, 2020. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, enrollment for 2020 was reopened from Mar. 20, 2020 through Apr. 30, 2020. |
| Rules to a promote competitive marketplace | J. Giovannelli, K. Lucia, and S. Corlette, "To Understand How Consumers Are Faring in the Individual Health Insurance Markets, Watch the States." The Commonwealth Fund | 0 | No rules to promote marketplace competition | Has not established a rule to promote a competitive ACA marketplace. |
| State decisions regarding whether to allow non-compliant transitional policies in the individual market | J. Giovannelli, K. Lucia, and S. Corlette, "To Understand How Consumers Are Faring in the Individual Health Insurance Markets, Watch the States." The Commonwealth Fund | 0 | Prohibits non-compliant transitional policies | Does not permit insurers to sell non-compliant transitional policies in the individual market |
| State decisions to exempt other coverage products from federal and state consumer protections | J. Giovannelli, K. Lucia, and S. Corlette, "To Understand How Consumers Are Faring in the Individual Health Insurance Markets, Watch the States." The Commonwealth Fund | 0 | Does not exempt other coverage from insurance rules | Does not exempt other coverage products from federal and state rules for individual market insurance |
| Status of state Affordable Care Act (1332) innovation waivers | J. Giovannelli and K. Lucia, "States See Opportunities for Flexibility in the ACA’s Innovation Waiver Program." The Commonwealth Fund | 3 | Waiver approved by federal government (16 states) | Waiver application approved by the federal government on July 31, 2019. Waiver secures federal funding to support a state-based reinsurance program. Colorado enacted legislation in 2018 authorizing a waiver to expand eligibility for ACA catastrophic coverage. The state has not released a waiver application addressing this issue. |
| State-operated individual market reinsurance programs supported by federal funding from an ACA innovation waiver | J. Giovannelli, K. Lucia, and S. Corlette, "To Understand How Consumers Are Faring in the Individual Health Insurance Markets, Watch the States." The Commonwealth Fund | 1 | Operates a waiver-funded reinsurance program | Operates an individual market reinsurance program supported by an ACA innovation waiver (since 2020); $250 million in program funding (2020); 32% state share of funding (2020); 68% federal share of funding (2020); 16% average projected reduction in individual market premiums due to program in first year of waiver (2020); Attachment point program design |