Starting Nov. 1, undocumented Coloradans will have the opportunity to apply for health insurance through the state’s new OmniSalud program. Although the open enrollment period extends through Jan. 15, there is an enrollment cap, so individuals are encouraged to apply sooner rather than later.
The state launched OmniSalud last year as an option for Coloradans who are undocumented or DACA enrollees, and therefore don’t qualify for Health First Colorado (Colorado’s Medicaid program) or financial help available on Connect for Health Colorado.
In the first year, Kyler Hijmans, a family nurse practitioner at Vail Health, saw the benefits firsthand.
“People are super excited about it,” Hijmans said. “I had a few patients who utilized it last year and were able to have surgeries that they’ve been waiting for or get chronic conditions under control because they previously were not eligible for any types of health insurance.”
The plan offers coverage for 10 benefits, according to the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies insurance division. This includes emergency services, hospitalization, lab services, mental health and substance use disorder services, outpatient care, children services, prescriptions, rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices as well as pregnancy, maternity and newborn care.
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Michelle Dibos, the deputy director of economic services in the Eagle County Department of Human Services, referred to the program as “very competitive.”
“It’s a robust medical insurance plan that they can get access to through the Connect for Health Colorado platform,” she added.
This year, the enrollment cap for the program is 11,000 across the entire state. Last year, there were only 10,000 spots, all of which were filled by around Dec. 5, Hijmans recalled.
“If the slots run out, you may not be able to access it, so it’s really important for folks that are interested in this program to reach out to a health insurance broker as soon as possible,” Dibos said.
Eagle County has various private health insurance brokers as well as brokers available through Mountain Family Health Centers, which has Eagle County locations in Eagle and Avon.
Assistance is also available through Vail Health’s Community Health Program, which is authorized by the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing to help Coloradans apply for medical benefits as a Certified Application Assistance Site.
In her role with the Vail Health program, Hijmans said one of the main concerns of undocumented residents is that applying for OmniSalud will “expose” their documentation status. However, this is not the case.
“The platform is totally secure, so the patients really don’t need to worry about any type of retaliation or anything that would come from other people finding out about their documentation status,” she said. “The insurance card that they get doesn’t say anything about OmniSalud on it. So it’s a secure way for those patients to receive health insurance.”
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To contact Vail Health’s community outreach team for application assistance, email [email protected] or call -970-422-3039. For more information on OmniSalud or Colorado health care insurance options, visit ConnectforHealthCO.com.