Covering Kids and Families works to improve how people in Colorado apply for, enroll in, and stay enrolled in health coverage.

We accomplish this by supporting assisters at community-based organizations, bridging the experiences of community-based enrollment assisters with state agencies, and advocating for policy and systems improvements. The health coverage programs we focus on are Health First Colorado (Colorado’s Medicaid program), Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+), and subsidized private insurance through Colorado’s state-based marketplace, Connect for Health Colorado.

People in Colorado turn to trusted community-based organizations when they need help accessing health coverage. One of our key roles is providing community-based enrollment assisters with the information they need to help people in Colorado apply for, enroll in, and stay enrolled in health coverage.

Community-based enrollment assisters help connect their community members to essential services. They are some of the first to notice when a policy or system is working well, or if there is room for improvement. We gather the experiences of community-based enrollment assisters and bring those experiences to the agencies that manage Colorado’s health coverage programs. Through stronger communication, and elevating the voices of those most impacted, we improve the health coverage experience of people in Colorado.

We advocate for solution-oriented policy and systems improvements. Our advocacy centers around removing barriers that keep people in Colorado from applying, getting an accurate eligibility determination, enrolling in a program, or keeping the coverage they are eligible for. We focus on state-level policies that impact eligibility and enrollment, along with the tools that people in Colorado use to apply for and stay enrolled in health coverage.

• Immigrants can easily enroll and stay enrolled in health coverage.
• Public-facing information, including Health First Colorado and CHP+ application and renewal paperwork are clear and understandable.
• Health First Colorado and CHP+ members maintain or move to the correct health coverage at the end of the public health emergency (PHE).
• The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing recognizes the important role community-based enrollment assisters play in supporting health coverage applicants and members and prioritizes supporting assisters.