After just two short days, enrollment for the OmniSalud Health Insurance program filled to maximum capacity. Several articles by National World News, CBS Colorado, NPR of Northern Colorado, and Public News Service picked up the story.
The Colorado Consumer Health Initiative and Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition are amazed that the OmniSalud program – which allows low-income undocumented Coloradans and DACA recipients to enroll in affordable health insurance plans with financial assistance – reached 11,000 enrollments just 2 days after the start of open enrollment. This shockingly fast level of enrollment reaches the cap for enrolling in a Colorado Option plan with “SilverEnhanced Savings,” financial assistance that was made available for the first time starting last year. People can still enroll through OmniSalud, but without the financial assistance that has been exhausted, putting coverage beyond affordability for many.
Enrollment in the OmniSalud program exceeded expectations last year, hitting the cap for enrollments with financial assistance in just over a month, and it was assumed enrollment would go even faster this year. Hitting the cap in 2 days demonstrates how much need there is to expand funding for the program to be able to provide affordable coverage for more Coloradans.