Division of Insurance Releases 2016 Health Insurance Cost Report

DENVER, Colorado, Feb. 1 -- The Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies issued the following news release:

The Colorado Division of Insurance (DOI), part of the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), has released its 2016 Health Insurance Cost Report.

The report analyzes the availability of health insurance, premiums, the factors that drive premiums and the trends impacting the marketplace - for both the individual and group markets. It also reports on the financial status of health insurance carriers.

"With health insurance so important to the lives of Coloradans, noting the trends and patterns is a valuable practice. And because much of this report has year-over-year data, it allows for comparisons over time," said Interim Colorado Insurance Commissioner Michael Conway.

Highlights from the 2016 report included:

* While there are 425 health insurers in Colorado, many of which provide insurance other than major medical insurance (such as dental or vision), the top 10 largest insurers accounted for 81% of the health market.

* A little over half of all Coloradans had employer-based health insurance, which is close to the national figure.

* Average monthly premiums per person across individual, small group (for small employers with 2 - 100 employees) and large group health plans (for employers with 100+ employees) ranged from $317 to $423.

* Approximately 86% of premiums collected for health insurance in Colorado went directly to the cost of providing healthcare services, exceeding the 80% minimum requirement under the ACA for individual and small group plans, and the 85% requirement for large group plans.

* In Colorado, 45% of private-sector employers offered health insurance, and of that number, 48% self-insured their plans

The report can be found on the DOI's page for "Insurance Brochures, Fact Sheets and Reports" - click on "Health Insurance Reports" under "Reports by DOI," and on the next page, click "Health Insurance Cost Reports."