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Colorado’s High-Risk Pool

This issue brief looks at Colorado’s high-risk pool, describing the eligibility, funding mechanisms and federal assistance for individuals underwritten out of the individual insurance market.
March 10, 2023

In the individual market, many Coloradans lack access to health insurance because of a pre-existing medical condition. Carriers either reject these individuals outright or offer a limited set of benefits at premium rates that are unaffordable to all but a few. As a result, these individuals are deemed “uninsurable” in the individual health insurance market and make up an important segment of Colorado’s 768,000 uninsured residents.

Thirty-three states, including Colorado, operate a high-risk pool for individuals underwritten out of the individual insurance market.

Nationwide, approximately 180,000 people participate in high-risk pools. Enrollment ranges from almost 33,000 in Minnesota to just over 100 people in Iowa, with roughly 5,000 enrollees in Colorado’s high-risk pool, CoverColorado.

This report includes a table highlighting certain elements and financing mechanisms of high-risk pools for select states compared to Colorado.