Short-Term Medical Insurance in Colorado

What to know before you choose

Where they are sold, short-term plans are not ACA plans. They can use medical underwriting, exclude pre-existing conditions, cap what they pay, and leave out benefits such as maternity, mental health and some prescriptions. Federal rules since September 1, 2024 limit new short-term policies to a few months.

Colorado sets stricter rules than federal law. Colorado's definition of a short-term policy limits its length and renewals, and rules adopted in 2019 require short-term plans to cover the same essential health benefits as an ACA plan. With those rules in place, independent consumer guides report that no insurance company currently markets short-term medical plans in Colorado. Before you shop, I confirm what, if anything, is actually available that week.

Be careful with look-alikes. The Colorado Division of Insurance warns that people trying to sell low cost coverage often offer products that do not meet ACA requirements: trade association plans, health care sharing ministries and other limited plans. They can limit pre-existing conditions, prescriptions, hospital and emergency care, and mental health treatment, leaving you with large bills (Colorado DOI consumer advisory).

The better bridge is usually one of these. If you lost job coverage, moved, married or had a baby, you have a Special Enrollment Period, usually 60 days, for a Connect for Health Colorado plan, and you may qualify for a tax credit. COBRA keeps your old plan for a time. A new employer plan may start sooner than you think if you ask about the waiting period. And if your income is low, Health First Colorado enrolls year round.

For people who truly have no other option, I explain the trade-offs line by line, including what a limited benefit plan will and will not pay, so you never mistake it for full health insurance.

Your needs and situation are unique, and I am committed to spending the time to get to know you so you get coverage and support that fits your lifestyle.

Colorado rules to know

Open Enrollment for 2027 Connect for Health Colorado plans runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027. Enroll by December 15 for a January 1 start (Connect for Health Colorado).

You can check that an agent and an insurance company are licensed in Colorado with the Division of Insurance at 303-894-7490 before you buy anything (Colorado DOI consumer advisory).

How and when to enroll

1. First, check for a Special Enrollment Period: losing coverage, a move, marriage, a birth or adoption. The window is usually 60 days.
2. Second, check Health First Colorado if your income has dropped; it accepts applications year round.
3. Third, compare COBRA with a Connect for Health Colorado plan for the months you need.
4. Only then consider a limited plan, with every exclusion read and understood in writing.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Letting a Special Enrollment window close while you wait on a temporary plan, then waiting until the next Open Enrollment for real coverage.
• Buying a health care sharing ministry or association plan believing it is insurance.
• Giving bank details or a Social Security number before you have the plan documents in writing.

How Lisa helps

• A check first for Special Enrollment Periods and tax credits on a full plan
• COBRA versus Connect for Health Colorado compared for your gap
• An honest answer on whether any short-term plan is sold in Colorado right now
• Limited benefit and look-alike plans explained before you sign
• Licence checks you can do yourself with the Colorado Division of Insurance
• A plan for moving into permanent coverage on time

Who it fits

You have a short gap in coverage, between jobs or waiting for a new employer plan, and you want to stay protected without buying something that will not pay when you need it.