Colorado Open Enrollment 2027 for Small Business Owners
Last updated November 3, 2026 · By Frank Caballero, licensed health insurance broker
Short answer
For small business owners in Colorado, Connect for Health Colorado sets the 2027 open enrollment dates; check its site for this year's deadlines. Your own coverage can also come from a private, medically underwritten plan, which does not wait for the window: if approved, it can start the first of any month.
What 2027 looks like for you
Colorado's average 2027 rate change is 10% to 12.8% (finalized). The details are on the Colorado 2027 premium increase page.
Group plans can renew at any point in the year, so open enrollment matters to owners for two reasons: an individual coverage HRA, or ICHRA, reimburses employees for individual plans they choose, and most of that shopping happens in this window; and an owner covering only the household buys in the individual market too. For your own household, the 2027 subsidy line is $63,840 for one person, $86,560 for two and $132,000 for four.
Colorado this year
Colorado's individual market is rising about 10 to 12.8 percent for 2027, a finalized figure held below the national pace by the state's reinsurance program and public-option rules. Set that against the renewal your own group carrier quotes, since that is the comparison that counts. Employees covered through an ICHRA would shop Connect for Health Colorado, the state's own exchange, rather than HealthCare.gov. Geography matters more here than in most places: mountain resort counties have historically carried premiums among the steepest anywhere, while the Front Range from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs offers more choice. A Boulder software studio, a Weld County oilfield service company and a ski-town shop face very different math.
Colorado's 2027 data does not show a small-group average, so your own group renewal is the number to compare against an ICHRA quote.
One thing to do before you choose
Map where each employee lives before deciding on an ICHRA. A worker in a resort county may face a far higher individual premium than a coworker in Denver or Aurora, and an allowance that covers one comfortably may fall short for the other. With your actual group renewal in hand, look up individual prices on Connect for Health Colorado for every ZIP code on your payroll, including Grand Junction and the Eastern Plains.
Your checklist
- Your 2027 group renewal letter and its effective date
- How many employees you have and where they live
- A fixed monthly ICHRA budget you could offer
- Your own household's coverage, priced separately
Private plan or Marketplace?
Private plan
For the owner's own household when everyone is healthy: priced on age, ZIP code and health. Approval depends on health answers; not an ACA Marketplace plan.
Marketplace
For employees on an ICHRA, or an owner with ongoing care: Connect for Health Colorado accepts everyone during open enrollment.
Compare Colorado plans this open enrollment
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), licensed in 31 states including Colorado. Phone or video, English or Spanish, no fee; independent, not HealthCare.gov or any government agency.
Questions
Who sets Colorado's 2027 open enrollment deadline?
Connect for Health Colorado, Colorado's own exchange. Check its site for this year's dates before you plan around them.
What does Colorado require of my small group plan when an employee leaves?
Colorado law extends 18 months of continuation from an insured group policy to anyone covered for at least half a year. The employer owes written notice within 10 days, and the employee then has 30 days to elect, so keep that Colorado notice drafted before anyone resigns.
Can I get a private plan in Colorado after open enrollment closes?
Yes. You can apply in any month and, if approved, a private plan can start the first of a month; the insurer can decline based on health answers.
More for Colorado
- Colorado open enrollment 2027: dates and options
- Colorado open enrollment for self-employed
- Colorado open enrollment for families
- Colorado open enrollment for early retirees
- Colorado open enrollment for people between jobs
- Colorado open enrollment for individuals
- Colorado open enrollment for people over the subsidy line
- Colorado open enrollment for marketplace renewals
- Small business health insurance in Colorado
- Colorado health insurance quotes
Official source: Connect for Health Colorado. 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.