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The Colorado Division of Insurance (DOI), a division of the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), announced that all remaining health insurance plans for individuals and for small employers that do not meet Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirements will not continue into 2016.
This decision does not impact grandfathered plans. Grandfathered plans, as defined by the ACA, are plans with an effective date prior to March 23, 2010, before the ACA became law. Grandfathered plans can continue as long as the insurance company does not make any significant changes to the plan or its benefits.
This means that insurance companies will not continue offering non-ACA-compliant plans, and consumers will not be able to renew such plans. For 2016, individuals and small businesses that are not enrolled in grandfathered plans must enroll in ACA-compliant plans in order to receive health care coverage. Insurance companies will notify all of their individuals and small-group employers who hold non-ACA-compliant plans of the discontinuation.
- The notices will be provided no later than 90 days in advance of the expiration date of the policy, or 180 days in advance if the insurance company is leaving the Colorado market.
- Insurance companies cannot automatically enroll, or "map," a current policyholder into a new plan from their company.
Insureds that have individual policies that will expire in the middle of the year can enroll in an ACA plan once they receive their notice of termination from their carrier. Insureds should make sure the new plan will be effective the day following the termination date of their current plan to avoid a gap in coverage.
Individuals cannot drop their plan because they know it will terminate at some point this year. Voluntarily dropping coverage is not a triggering event that will allow someone to enroll outside of open enrollment. Individuals who voluntarily drop their current plan will have to wait until the next open enrollment to enroll in coverage. That coverage would begin January 2016.
Small businesses may purchase plans anytime throughout the year, without waiting for an open enrollment period. When their existing plans terminate, they can buy new plans. COPIC FSG will contact group clients as soon as we hear from the carriers, and will work with you to select the best ACA-compliant plan for your group.
Contact Andrea Levine at (720) 858-6287 with any questions you may have about health care options that relate to your individual situation. | 
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