Colorado Division of Insurance dodges Colorado Option dialogue | OPINION

The Colorado Division of Insurance (DOI) is holding another stakeholder meeting this week to discuss health insurance plans and premiums in the state for 2025 — specifically, the small and individual group markets or health insurance plans not purchased through an employer. It's no secret health care costs in Colorado remain some of the highest in the country as we head into the 2025 enrollment period.

These meetings give consumers and providers the opportunity to submit comments and questions regarding 2025 health insurance plans ahead of open enrollment. Though the DOI's commitment to agency transparency and accountability is a step in the right direction, the one-sided conversations surrounding the Colorado Option at these stakeholder meetings do not provide consumers with a complete picture of how the public option has hurt consumers and negatively impacted the health care landscape in the state.

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Stakeholder meetings should be used as an opportunity to solicit public opinion on the current state of our health care system — and how to improve it. However, one of the greatest threats to the cost of care crisis in the state remains absent from the stakeholder meeting agenda. It is imperative the DOI confront the harmful Colorado Option that has made matters worse for so many Coloradans.

The Colorado Option is the state's government-run health insurance system, and it significantly impacts the individual and small-group markets. It was established when the legislature passed HB21-1232 in 2021, despite warning calls from health care experts. The legislature enacted this government-run health insurance option without taking the time to fully understand its potential negative repercussions.

The bill's proponents promised it would increase consumer choice and lower insurance costs for the individual and small-group markets. However, three years later, the promises of the Colorado Option have not come to fruition. Despite the DOI's insistence the Colorado Option is working perfectly, the public option is actually exacerbating our state's health affordability crisis. According to a recent Colorado Politics article, "health insurance premiums in the state remain among the highest in the nation." And things are just getting worse. From 2023 to 2024, Colorado experienced the "sixth-highest premium increase in the nation of nine percent for a 40-year-old with a mid-range silver plan." This problem created by the public option shows no sign of abating, as premiums are still expected to rise by 5.5% for 2025.

Health care consumers clearly recognize this is not the best alternative for the people of Colorado, as only 1.5% of Colorado's population elected to enroll in the public option in 2024. Consumers recognize the public option is simply not what it was promised to be and there are higher-quality, lower-cost options available.

It is time for Coloradans to come together to address this issue. The Colorado Option is fully implemented, and it's clear action is needed to protect Colorado consumers from its harmful impacts. The Colorado DOI should use the upcoming stakeholder meetings as an opportunity to reevaluate the effectiveness of the Colorado Option and determine a better, effective path toward reducing costs for consumers. Delays will only continue to exacerbate the current lack of affordability and related problems within the Colorado health care market.

Lisa Frizell represents House District 45 in Colorado House of Representatives. She is currently running for Senate District 2.