Colorado marketplace: how to enroll for 2027

The Colorado marketplace is the state's official health insurance marketplace, and it is the only place in Colorado where you can get federal premium tax credits and Colorado Premium Assistance on an individual or family plan. Colorado does not use the federal marketplace. Open enrollment for 2027 coverage runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027: enroll by December 15 for coverage that starts January 1, or between December 16 and January 15 for coverage that starts February 1 (Colorado marketplace, July 31, 2026). Outside that window you need a qualifying life event. Final 2027 rates are already approved: individual premiums rise 10% on average statewide, and 10.8% on average in the Denver metro rating area that includes Adams County (Colorado Division of Insurance, September 22, 2026). This guide walks through what that means for a household in Brighton and the northeast metro, with a worked example and the checks Lisa Asmussen runs before anyone enrolls.

What the Colorado marketplace is, and what it is not

Think of the Colorado marketplace as a store run by the state where private insurance companies sell ACA plans side by side. Every plan in the store accepts you regardless of health history, covers the ten essential health benefits, and caps what you can spend out of pocket in a year. What changes from plan to plan is the monthly premium, the doctor and hospital network, the prescription list and how costs are split when you use care.

It is also the front door for financial help. If your household income qualifies, the marketplace applies a federal premium tax credit and, in Colorado, an extra state benefit called Colorado Premium Assistance. Neither one is available if you buy the same kind of plan directly from an insurance company. The Colorado marketplace does not set rates; insurers file them and the Colorado Division of Insurance reviews them (Colorado marketplace, October 8, 2026).

It is not Medicaid. If your income is low enough, the same application will tell you that you qualify for Health First Colorado (Colorado's Medicaid program) or for Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) for your children, and route you there instead.

The dates that matter for 2027 coverage

Earlier in 2026, a federal rule was expected to shorten Colorado's window to December 31. The Colorado marketplace announced on July 31, 2026 that recent federal developments restored the traditional schedule for plan year 2027, so the dates below are the current official ones. Since October 8, 2026 you can preview 2027 plans and prices in the marketplace's Estimate and Explore tool before enrollment opens (The Colorado marketplace).

What 2027 prices look like in your part of Colorado

Colorado prices plans by rating area, and every county belongs to one. Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson and several neighboring counties form rating area 3; Weld County is rating area 6; Boulder County is rating area 1; Larimer County is rating area 4 (CMS, cms.gov/cciio/programs-and-initiatives/health-insurance-market-reforms/co-gra). A Brighton address in Adams County shops rating area 3 prices, while an address on the Weld County side shops rating area 6 prices, so the county on your application matters.

The Division of Insurance approved an average individual market increase of 10% for 2027, compared with a 15% national median, and says its rate review saved Colorado consumers $42,136,281 on premiums for the year. It also estimates that customers who receive financial help will see a net premium increase of about $20 a month from 2026 to 2027 because of Colorado Premium Assistance, against about $69 a month without that support (Colorado Division of Insurance, September 22, 2026, doi.colorado.gov/news-releases-consumer-advisories/division-of-insurance-announces-final-aca-health-insurance). Those are averages; your own renewal can move by much more or much less.

Colorado's reinsurance program, which reimburses insurers for some very high claims, is built into these prices. The Division estimates it lowers 2027 premiums by 17.1% statewide and by nearly $470 million in total, with larger effects in rural and mountain areas.

What is different for 2027

• Auto re-enrollment is not the same plan at the same price. Eligible returning customers are re-enrolled at the start of open enrollment, but the Colorado marketplace says premiums, financial help, benefits and networks can all change. Review your renewal notice line by line.
• One insurer is leaving. The Colorado marketplace has told customers that Cigna is exiting Colorado's individual medical market, so anyone with Cigna medical coverage must choose a new plan for 2027 (Colorado marketplace, August 31, 2026).
• A new insurer is arriving. The Colorado Division of Insurance announced that Colorado Access joins the individual market for 2027.
• Final rates came in below the request. Insurers asked for an average 11% increase in July 2026; the Division approved an average of 10% in September 2026.
• More plans may show on screen. From plan year 2027 the marketplace may show customers who do not qualify for financial help a wider range of plans, including off-exchange options, while customers who qualify see only plans eligible for savings.
• Federal marketplace changes announced on September 22, 2026 about removing individuals from ACA marketplaces do not apply to Colorado, according to the Division, because Colorado runs its own state-based exchange.

Who uses the Colorado marketplace today

Federal data gives a useful picture of who you would be shopping alongside. In the 2026 open enrollment period, 277,238 Coloradans selected a plan through the Colorado marketplace. 191,153 of them received an advance premium tax credit averaging $511 a month, and 73,868 had cost-sharing reductions. The average full premium was $673 a month per person, and the average after the tax credit was $318. The largest age group was 55 to 64, with 67,420 people, which is why the marketplace matters so much for Coloradans retiring before Medicare (CMS 2026 OEP State-Level Public Use File, cms.gov/files/zip/2026-oep-state-level-public-use-file.zip).

The Colorado marketplace reported that Colorado Premium Assistance helped more than 176,000 customers lower their premiums in 2026, and that the help continues for 2027. For 2027, it says about 60% of customers who receive financial help could find a plan for $10 or less a month, and 3 out of 4 could find one for $75 or less, if they shop and compare. A low premium usually comes with a higher deductible, so treat those numbers as a reason to compare, not as a target.

Who can use it

You can shop the Colorado marketplace if you live in Colorado, are a U.S. citizen or lawfully present, are not in jail, and are not enrolled in Medicare. You can buy a plan even if you have a job offering coverage, but if that job coverage counts as affordable, you will not get a tax credit (see our guide to ACA tax credits in Colorado).

Children 18 and under and pregnant people in households under 260% of the federal poverty level may qualify for CHP+ instead, with a yearly out-of-pocket limit of 5% of household income (HCPF, hcpf.colorado.gov/chp). The single application screens for CHP+ and Health First Colorado automatically.

People who cannot use the marketplace because of immigration status may be able to buy coverage through OmniSalud on a separate platform called Colorado Connect. For 2027, OmniSalud's SilverEnhanced Savings plans are limited to households under 150% of the federal poverty level (for example $23,940 a year for one person), cost a $15 monthly premium contribution per enrollee, and pay 73% of covered out-of-pocket costs. Returning customers must re-enroll by November 30, 2026 to keep their spot; new applicants can enter a random lottery through November 30, and the lottery runs December 1, 2026 (The Colorado marketplace).

The plan levels, in plain English

Plans come in metal levels that describe how you and the plan share costs, not the quality of care. Bronze has the lowest premium and the highest costs when you use care; Gold and Platinum flip that. Silver sits in the middle and is the only level that carries cost-sharing reductions for lower incomes, which can make a Silver plan behave like a Gold or better one (CMS).

The Colorado Option, explained

The Colorado Option is a set of standardized plans created by state law (House Bill 21-1232). Every insurer selling individual plans must offer them, and the Commissioner of Insurance enforces premium reductions on these plans through rate review and public hearings, under the Division's premium rate reduction methodology regulation (Regulation 4-2-85) and public hearing regulation (Regulation 4-2-92) (Colorado Division of Insurance, doi.colorado.gov/colorado-option). Because the benefit design is standardized, comparing two Colorado Option plans is closer to comparing like with like: the main differences are price and network.

Colorado Option plans cover primary care and mental health visits at $0, according to the Division's September 2026 release, and must cover certain diabetic supplies at $0 and list those supplies on the insurer's website. If you see a primary care doctor or therapist regularly, or manage diabetes, those lines are worth checking before you choose.

A worked example: a Brighton family of three

Hypothetical Colorado household, not a real client. Two parents and an eight-year-old live in Brighton on the Adams County side, so they shop rating area 3. They expect 2027 household income of $65,000. Coverage for 2027 is measured against the 2026 federal poverty guidelines, where 100% for a household of three is $27,320 (HHS ASPE, aspe.hhs.gov/topics/poverty-economic-mobility/poverty-guidelines). Their income is about 238% of the poverty level.

Step one is the child. At 238% the family is under the 260% CHP+ line, so the application will likely route their son to CHP+ rather than a marketplace plan. Step two is the parents. At 238% the IRS 2027 table expects them to contribute about 8.21% of income toward the benchmark Silver plan, which is about $5,334 a year or $444 a month (IRS Rev. Proc. 2026-26, irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/rp-26-26.pdf). Because they are under 250%, a Silver plan would also come with cost-sharing reductions.

Step three needs a benchmark price, which only the marketplace can give for their ages and ZIP code. To make the arithmetic concrete, this example uses Colorado's 2026 average full premium of $673 per person (CMS) as a stand-in, so $1,346 a month for the two parents. That is an illustration, not a quote: real benchmark prices depend on age, and insurers can charge older adults up to 3 times more than younger ones (CMS).

How to shop it, step by step

• Gather your documents: Social Security numbers, a realistic estimate of 2027 household income (use the tax-return definition, not take-home pay), any job-based coverage offers, and your current plan's ID card.
• List every doctor, specialist, hospital and prescription you want to keep, with exact drug names and doses.
• Preview plans in Estimate and Explore before November 1, so you are ready when enrollment opens.
• Create or update your the Colorado marketplace account and complete the application. This is where the system decides your tax credit, Colorado Premium Assistance and any cost-sharing reductions.
• Filter plans by your county and check each doctor and drug against the insurer's own directory and drug list, not only the marketplace summary.
• Compare the full year, not the premium: twelve months of premium plus the deductible and out-of-pocket maximum you could realistically hit.
• Read each finalist's Summary of Benefits and Coverage. It is the standard form that lets you compare plans on the same terms.
• Choose and pay your first month's premium on time. Coverage does not start until the first payment is made.
• Report changes to income or household during the year, so your credit stays accurate and you are not surprised at tax time.

What Lisa checks for you

Lisa takes a commonsense approach: she asks questions, listens to the answers, and only then recommends plans. On a Colorado marketplace review, her checklist is the same every time.

• The county and rating area on the application, especially for addresses near the Adams and Weld County line.
• The income estimate against the lines that change your help: 100%, 150%, 250%, 260% and 400% of the poverty level.
• Whether each person belongs on the marketplace plan, CHP+, Health First Colorado or a job plan, since one application can split a family.
• Every doctor, hospital and prescription against each finalist's own directory and drug list.
• The renewal notice line by line, including whether a current plan is being discontinued, as Cigna individual medical plans are for 2027.
• The full-year cost: premium after all help, plus the deductible and out-of-pocket maximum you could realistically reach.
• Whether a Colorado Option plan's $0 primary care and mental health visits fit how you actually use care.

Questions to ask before you choose

• Which rating area does my address fall in, and did my county change since last year?
• What is my benchmark Silver premium, and how much of it does my tax credit cover?
• Am I receiving Colorado Premium Assistance, and how much?
• If my income ends up higher than my estimate, how much of the tax credit would I have to repay?
• Is my current plan renewing, changing networks or being discontinued for 2027?
• Are my doctors and my hospital in network for 2027, and are my drugs on the 2027 drug list?
• Would a Silver plan with cost-sharing reductions cost me less over the year than a Bronze plan with a lower premium?

Getting help at no cost

Lisa is a licensed broker who enrolls you in your the Colorado marketplace plan: she compares the 2027 plans against your doctors, prescriptions and budget, applies the tax credit, and completes the enrollment with you on the marketplace. A broker is paid by the insurer you choose, so working with Lisa does not change your premium. What it changes is the time it takes and the questions that get asked before you enroll.

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The bottom line

Mark December 15, 2026 on your calendar if you want coverage on January 1, and do not let auto re-enrollment make the decision for you: 2027 brings a 10.8% average increase in the Denver metro rating area, one insurer leaving and one arriving. Check which lines your income sits near, because in Colorado the 250%, 260% and 400% marks can matter more than the premium on the screen. If you would like a second set of eyes on your renewal, send Lisa a message or call (303) 887-8584. You can also preview 2027 plans for your ZIP code with our Compare Plans tool.