How to Get Health Insurance Quotes in Colorado
Last updated · By Frank Caballero, licensed health insurance broker, NPN 21032307
Short answer
In Colorado, self-employed people and families usually compare two kinds of quotes: private, medically underwritten plans priced on age, ZIP code and health, and Connect for Health Colorado Marketplace plans, where household income sets any subsidy.
If approved, a private plan can start the first of any month; Connect for Health Colorado plans follow open enrollment unless you qualify for a special enrollment period.
Frank Caballero, a licensed broker (NPN 21032307), quotes both for Colorado households from Denver–Aurora to Grand Junction by phone or video, at no fee.
Colorado at a glance
| Where ACA plans are sold | Connect for Health Colorado (state exchange) |
|---|---|
| Medicaid expansion | Expanded |
| Open enrollment for 2027 coverage | Set by Connect for Health Colorado; check its site for 2027 deadlines |
| Private plan enrollment | Any month, if approved |
| 2027 subsidy line (400% of the poverty level) | $63,840 for one person; $132,000 for a family of four |
| 2027 Marketplace out-of-pocket maximum | $12,000 for one person; $24,000 for a family |
| 2027 average Marketplace rate change | 10% to 12.8% (final) |
| Largest metro areas | Denver–Aurora, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Boulder and Grand Junction |
What a quote takes
- Book a 15-minute call by phone or video, in English or Spanish. There is no fee.
- Have ready: your Colorado ZIP code, everyone's ages, your doctors (in Denver–Aurora, Colorado Springs or elsewhere), prescriptions, a rough income estimate for the Connect for Health Colorado side and your health history for the private side.
- Frank prices private plans from your health answers and Connect for Health Colorado Marketplace plans from your income, and checks each network for your doctors.
- Next, a private application goes to the insurer for an underwriting decision; if approved, coverage can start the first of the next month. Connect for Health Colorado enrollment happens in open enrollment or a special enrollment period, with Frank's help.
Private plan vs. the Marketplace in Colorado
| Feature | Private, medically underwritten plan | Connect for Health Colorado Marketplace plan |
|---|---|---|
| Priced on | Age, ZIP code and your health answers | Age and ZIP code; household income sets any subsidy |
| Coverage can start | The first of any month, if approved | After open enrollment, or after a qualifying event in a special enrollment period |
| Health questions | Yes, and approval depends on the answers | No |
| Networks | Many private plans use national PPO networks | Many Colorado Marketplace plans are HMO or EPO networks inside the state |
| Benefits and pre-existing condition rules | Vary by plan; read the plan documents before you apply | Every plan covers essential health benefits and pre-existing conditions |
Colorado effectively does not allow traditional short-term plans; state law requires them to meet standards that no carrier sells to. The medically underwritten private plans we quote are a different product and are available in Colorado.
Colorado rules that shape a quote
Colorado buyers use Connect for Health Colorado, the state's own exchange, which sets its own calendar and runs state programs on top of federal credits. Final 2027 individual rates rise about 10 percent on average, held down by a state reinsurance program that lowers premiums by roughly 17 percent statewide and by the Colorado Option, which requires a standardized plan in every county. Colorado also funds premium help for many households that would otherwise face a steeper 2027 increase. State continuation lasts 18 months, longer than in most states, and short-term plans are limited to six nonrenewable months. Mountain counties have historically had higher premiums than the Front Range, so where you live in Colorado matters a great deal.
Who usually starts with which
Price a private plan first
You are in good health, self-employed or a business owner, and your household income is above the Colorado subsidy line of $63,840 for one person or $132,000 for a family of four. Above that line you pay the full Connect for Health Colorado premium, so a plan priced on health may cost you less.
Start with Connect for Health Colorado
You have health conditions that could affect a private approval, or your household income may qualify for a subsidy. Connect for Health Colorado Marketplace plans cannot turn you down or charge more because of your health.
Common self-employed work in Colorado: Software and creative freelancers in Denver and Boulder, ski-town and outdoor-recreation seasonal workers, construction trades along the Front Range, real estate agents, oil and gas contractors in Weld County, and ranching families on the Eastern Plains.
Colorado's 2025 SBA profile counts about 730,900 small businesses, and roughly 584,000 of them have no employees. Professional, scientific and technical services lead those solo firms at about 98,600. Real estate and rental follows at about 71,700, transportation and warehousing at about 64,600 and construction at about 60,400. Other services adds about 49,000 and arts, entertainment and recreation about 37,600. Small businesses employ about 48.6 percent of Colorado's private workforce.
Connect for Health Colorado, the state's own exchange, took 277,238 plan selections in the 2026 open enrollment, the CMS state-level file shows, only about 2 percent below the 282,481 of 2025. New customers dropped about 24 percent, though, as the enhanced credits lapsed. About 69 percent of 2026 enrollees got an advance premium tax credit, down from about 80 percent, so roughly 31 percent pay full price, one of the 10 highest unsubsidized shares in the country. Census survey data for 2024 put about 49 percent of Colorado households at $100,000 or more in income.
Business owners with employees
Colorado redefined its small-group market for 2026. Under Senate Bill 24-073, a small employer is now one with 1 to 50 employees on average, down from 1 to 100, and employers with 51 to 100 workers have up to five years to move to the large-group market. Five insurers offered 383 small-group plans for 2026. For 2027, the Division of Insurance's final approved small-group rates rise about 14 percent on average, ranging from about 9.9 percent in the eastern rural rating area to about 15.2 percent around Boulder.
Leaving a job or group plan
Coloradans leaving continuation shop on Connect for Health Colorado, the state exchange, at 855-752-6749. Losing job-based coverage, including the end of continuation, opens a 60-day special enrollment window, and you can report the loss up to 60 days before it happens. Dropping coverage by choice does not qualify, so plan the switch around the 18-month end date or open enrollment, when a plan chosen by December 15 starts January 1. The Division of Insurance helps at 303-894-7499 or 800-930-3745.
If you are self-employed in Colorado, premiums for you and your family are often deductible on your federal return, whichever kind of plan you choose. General information, not tax advice — confirm with your CPA based on your specific entity structure.
2027 rates in Colorado
Connect for Health Colorado premiums in Colorado are set to rise 10% to 12.8% on average for 2027 in finalized filings, with small-group plans up about 14%; the Colorado 2027 premium increase page has the details.
About your broker
Frank Caballero is a licensed health insurance broker, NPN 21032307, licensed in 31 states including Colorado. He is based in Tampa and works with Colorado clients by phone or video, in English and Spanish. There is no fee to the client. FC Insurance Solutions is BBB Accredited with an A rating and rated 4.9 on Google from 78 reviews. More about Frank · License list
Colorado health insurance quote questions
Can I get a private health insurance quote in Colorado outside open enrollment?
Yes. Private, medically underwritten plans can be quoted in Colorado any time of year and, if approved, start the first of any month. Connect for Health Colorado Marketplace plans need open enrollment or a special enrollment period, such as after losing other coverage.
How long does a Colorado health insurance quote take?
About 15 minutes by phone or video. Connect for Health Colorado prices come from your ZIP code, ages and income estimate; private plans also need your health history, and the insurer decides after you apply.
Do I need to go through Connect for Health Colorado to get a quote?
No. Colorado uses its own exchange, Connect for Health Colorado. Connect for Health Colorado sets its own open enrollment dates; check its site for 2027 deadlines. A licensed broker can quote Connect for Health Colorado plans and private plans in the same call, and private plans are not sold through Connect for Health Colorado at all.
Is there a fee to use a health insurance broker in Colorado?
No. Frank charges Colorado clients nothing; the insurance company pays the broker, and you don't pay extra for the help.
What if I have a pre-existing condition in Colorado?
Connect for Health Colorado Marketplace plans cannot decline you or charge more because of your health, so Connect for Health Colorado is often the place to start. Private plans in Colorado ask health questions, and approval depends on your answers.
I live in a mountain county where marketplace plans are expensive. Is there an alternative?
For people in good health, a private PPO priced on health rather than county can cost less. Network access in resort counties still has to be checked hospital by hospital, and we do that before you enroll.
More for Colorado
Official sources
FC Insurance Solutions LLC is a private, licensed insurance brokerage. It is not HealthCare.gov, a state exchange or a government agency.