Colorado Open Enrollment for 2027 Coverage
Last updated November 3, 2026 · By Frank Caballero, licensed health insurance broker
Short answer
Connect for Health Colorado sets Colorado's open enrollment dates for 2027 coverage; check its site for this year's deadlines. Private, medically underwritten plans don't use the window: if approved, they can start the first of any month.
Key dates for Colorado
| What | Connect for Health Colorado |
|---|---|
| Open enrollment opens | Set by Connect for Health Colorado; check its site |
| Open enrollment closes | Set by Connect for Health Colorado; check its site |
| Deadline for a January 1, 2027 start | Set by Connect for Health Colorado; check its site |
| Private plans | Any month, if approved |
Colorado at a glance
- Where Colorado buys Marketplace plans: Connect for Health Colorado, Colorado's own exchange
- 2027 average rate change: 10% to 12.8% (finalized)
- Largest metro areas: Denver–Aurora, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins and Boulder
- Medicaid expansion: Yes (a separate program, not tied to this window)
What changed for 2027
Colorado's 10 to 13 percent is finalized and below the national average of about 15 percent. What changes most from county to county is the dollar amount: the same plan can rise by very different amounts in Denver and in a resort county. More detail is on the Colorado 2027 premium increase page.
For Colorado households buying 2027 coverage, the Marketplace premium tax credit stops at 400% of the federal poverty level: $63,840 for one person, $86,560 for two, $109,280 for three and $132,000 for four. The repayment caps were removed starting with tax year 2026, so any excess advance credit is repaid in full on Form 8962. General information, not tax advice — confirm with your CPA based on your specific entity structure.
Who this year's window matters for in Colorado
Colorado buyers shop on Connect for Health Colorado, and the state's reinsurance program and public-option rules have helped hold the finalized 2027 increase to roughly 10 to 13 percent. Prices still swing widely by region: mountain resort counties have historically carried some of the highest premiums in the country, while the Front Range from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs has more choice. The exchange has also run state-funded help for some buyers who miss the federal subsidy, so check what applies before assuming full price.
Self-employed work that is common in Colorado, and the people I most often help there: 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.
Before you renew in Colorado
Before you renew in Colorado, check the plan's service area as well as its price. Coloradans who split time between the Front Range and a mountain town can find that a plan's network thins out quickly once they leave the metro. Ski instructors, guides and other seasonal workers should base the 2027 income estimate on the full year, not a busy winter.
Should you renew, switch, or look at private?
Auto-renew risk
Do nothing and Connect for Health Colorado re-enrolls you at the new 2027 price, 10% to 12.8% higher on average in Colorado.
Healthy, income above the line
Price a private plan in Colorado too. If approved, it can start the first of any month, with no wait for Colorado's window.
Health conditions or subsidy-eligible income
Use the Marketplace. Connect for Health Colorado plans can't decline you or charge more for your health.
Checklist before you pick a plan
- Your Colorado renewal notice
- The new 2027 premium and deductible
- Doctors and prescriptions still in network, including any care in Denver–Aurora or Colorado Springs
- Your 2027 income estimate
Missed it?
After Colorado's window closes, a Marketplace plan needs a special enrollment event: losing other coverage, a move, marriage or a baby, generally within 60 days, through Connect for Health Colorado. Check with Can I enroll now? or the missed open enrollment guide.
Leaving a job in Colorado? Colorado requires insured group plans to offer 18 months of continuation after at least six months of coverage, with the employer giving written notice within 10 days and the employee electing within 30 days.
Short-term plans, if you only need a bridge: Colorado law limits short-term plans to six months, nonrenewable, and few if any insurers sell them in the state. They are not Marketplace coverage.
In Colorado, a private, medically underwritten plan needs no event. If approved, it starts the first of a month; approval is not guaranteed.
Compare Colorado plans before you renew
Private plans priced first, the Marketplace alongside when it fits. Phone or video, English or Spanish, no fee.
About your broker
Frank Caballero (NPN 21032307) is a health insurance broker licensed in 31 states including Colorado. Phone or video, English or Spanish, no fee. BBB Accredited (A) and rated 4.9 on Google from 78 reviews. He is independent, not Connect for Health Colorado or a government agency.
Colorado open enrollment questions
When does open enrollment end in Colorado for 2027?
Connect for Health Colorado sets Colorado's closing date, not HealthCare.gov. Check its site rather than assuming the federal January 15 date.
What happens if I miss the December 15 deadline in Colorado?
Connect for Health Colorado sets the start date for later choices. After the window, you need a qualifying event, or a private plan, which if approved can start the first of a month.
Can I get a private plan in Colorado outside open enrollment?
Yes. In Colorado you can apply in any month, and if approved, a private, medically underwritten plan starts the first of a month; the insurer can decline based on health.
Will I be auto-renewed in Colorado?
Usually, at the 2027 price: 10% to 12.8% higher on average.
Is there a fee to use a broker in Colorado?
No. Colorado clients pay nothing; the insurance company pays the broker, and Marketplace premiums are the same with or without one.
Does Colorado use HealthCare.gov for open enrollment?
No. Coloradans enroll through Connect for Health Colorado, the state's own exchange, which sets its own open enrollment calendar. A private, medically underwritten plan is applied for directly and does not go through either site.
More for Colorado
Open enrollment in nearby states
Official source: Connect for Health Colorado. Connect for Health Colorado is Colorado's state-run exchange. FC Insurance Solutions is an independent, licensed brokerage and is not affiliated with any government agency.
Written by Frank Caballero, licensed health insurance broker in Colorado and 30 other states, NPN 21032307. Last updated November 3, 2026.