Announcing Colorado’s Child-only Health Insurance Open Enrollment Period for July 2012

June 25th, 2012 – Colorado’s last open enrollment for 2012 for “Child Only” policies is during the month of July for August 1st effective dates. Applications must be received by the insurance carriers during the month of July.  The next open enrollment period will be in January of 2013.

If you know anyone who needs coverage for a child that is not eligible to be insured under a parent’s employer sponsored health insurance plan, please be sure to let them know about this twice a year opportunity to insure their child.  Effective dates are 1st of the month following the open enrollment period.

There are special “qualifying events” that allow the purchase of child-only plans outside of the open enrollment periods. A qualifying event is defined by Colorado law as “birth, adoption, marriage, dissolution of marriage, loss of employer-sponsored coverage, loss of eligibility for Medicaid or Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+), entry of a valid court or administrative order mandating the child have coverage, or involuntary loss of existing coverage other than because of fraud, misrepresentation or failure to pay premium.”

Please note that the timing for qualifying events is critical, as applications must be received by the insurance carrier within 30 days after a qualifying event.

Under current Federal law, insurers can not deny coverage to a child with a pre-existing condition. However, they can charge up to double the cost of the standard premium.  However, an insurance company may deny coverage if the child has access to other creditable health insurance coverage, such as a parent’s group insurance plan through an employer.

All insurance carriers that sell individual health insurance policies in Colorado are required to sell child-only policies, although many only offer a single plan option.  For quotes on child-only plans please call Colorado Health Insurance Brokers at (303) 456-7967.