The sign-up period started on Nov. 15 for the second year of health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as Obamacare.
The Times contacted local health coverage guide Kevin O'Connor to check out a report of drastic premium increases because of being lumped in with areas like Aspen and Vail where health care costs are very high.
"That's kind of an over-simplification of what's going on," O'Connor said.
Premiums for one specific Rocky Mountain Health Care plan are going up, he said, but other companies are offering new lower-cost plans, so people actually have more choice among less expensive plans that are comparable to what was offered last year, he said.
He speculates that a lot of people will be better off with the new options.
"There were concerns when those high cost areas were mixed in with the rest of the West Slope," O'Connor said. "There are plans available to us that aren't available in the high cost areas. ... Overall in the western region, rates are actually going down a little bit."
O'Connor said he's getting a lot of calls for help navigating the new sign-up options. He also is getting inquiries from people who didn't sign up last year.
Some people are getting notices of rate increases if they stay with the plan they signed up for last year, and he advises them to shop around. If they get a big rate increase notice, he suggests calling the company directly, or call his office at 335-2021, or a private insurance broker.
O'Connor is the local representative for Connect for Health Colorado, the state exchange that people must use if they qualify for a federal premium subsidy. Information is on-line at www.connectforhealthco.com.
The sign-up period runs through Feb. 15, but to get coverage starting Jan. 1, the sign-up deadline is Dec. 15. People who signed up last year will automatically be signed up for the same plan, sometimes at higher cost, unless they check out their options and possibly sign up for a different plan.
According to an AP story in the Sunday Durango Herald, Connect for Health lists 176 plans now compared to 150 last year. Not all plans are available in all areas. This year, people with incomes too high to qualify for an ACA subsidy are spared from having to go through a pointless Medicaid qualification process before they proceed to choosing an insurance plan.
The Connect for Health web site has a list of plans, also a list of local health care guides and private brokers who can work with people. It also has a section for small Colorado businesses with two up to 50 FTE employees, and for non-profit organizations that provide employee health insurance to save on their premiums.
According to the web site, around 148,000 Coloradoans signed up for insurance through the exchange for 2014.
Colorado also is one of the states that has raised the income cap for Medicaid eligibility. Many states didn't, resulting in people with incomes too low to qualify for ACA subsidies, but with too much income to qualify for Medicaid.
