Colorado Health Insurance Reforms Focus on Women

Over the past 12 months, many legislative changes have affected the Colorado Individual health insurance market. Many additional coverages are now mandatory and this may make Individual Health insurance an option worth considering. Here’s what you need to know:

·         Maternity is Required on All Plans

As of January 1, 2011 Colorado enacted House Bill 1021 offering maternity and contraception coverage on all health plans in Colorado. Prior to this bill being passed, maternity coverage was limited and more expensive to buy. This is a huge change, and a relief to many searching for a comprehensive maternity coverage outside of an employer plan. Of course, this will increase premiums and the interesting part of the law is it increases rates to males as well as females policies. Another important note is, you cannot opt out of the maternity coverage even if you are not planning or unable to have children.

·         Many New Preventive Coverages Added            

On the Federal level, we hear a lot about The Affordable Care Act passed March 23, 2010. Some call it health care reform, others call it Obamacare. One of the Authorized under provisions of the Act developed by a committee of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, expands the previous list of preventive services that must be covered without charging a copayment, coinsurance or a deductible to include:

·         Well-woman visits

·         Screening for gestational diabetes for all pregnant women

·         Human papillomavirus DNA testing for all women 30 years and older

·         Annual sexually transmitted infection counseling for all sexually active women

·         Annual counseling and screening for HIV for all sexually active women

·         FDA-approved contraception methods, sterilization procedures and contraceptive counseling

·         Breastfeeding support, supplies, and counseling, including costs for renting breastfeeding equipment

·         Domestic violence screening and counseling  

For more specifics on coverage changes, click the link below to be redirected to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services summary of these changes:

 http://www.hrsa.gov/womensguidelines/#footnote

These changes to Colorado Health Insurance is good news for many, and certainly promotes women taking a more active role in preventive care. Most carriers have taken modest increases, but individual health insurance remains a competitive option for most Colorado residents.