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Short-Term Health Insurance in Colorado

There aren't any to buy: no carrier has sold one since 2019, because state law requires ACA-equivalent standards. What to use instead.

At a glance

Short-term medical insurance isn't practically available in Colorado — no carrier sells it, and none has since insurers exited the market in 2019.

Colorado law technically allows only a nonrenewable plan of up to 6 months, issued only if you haven't had more than one short-term policy in the past 12 months.

Colorado also requires any such plan to meet ACA-equivalent standards (guaranteed issue, essential health benefits, an 80% minimum loss ratio), which removed the reason to offer one.

The August 2025 federal non-enforcement has no effect in Colorado — the state applies its own rules. Residents use Connect for Health Colorado or Medicaid.

Why short-term medical isn't available in Colorado

Colorado hasn't shut down short-term insurance with a single prohibition the way some states have. Instead, it made these plans practically impossible to sell — and in fact none are sold.

Two layers do the work. First, C.R.S. 10-16-102(60) defines short-term coverage as a "nonrenewable individual health benefit plan with a specified duration of not more than six months," issued "only to individuals who have not had more than one short-term policy within the past twelve months." In practice that caps coverage at roughly 12 months (two 6-month policies), followed by a 6-month waiting period.

Second, Colorado Regulation 4-2-59 (effective April 1, 2019) requires any short-term plan to be guaranteed issue, to limit age rating to 3:1, to meet an 80% minimum loss ratio, to be nonrenewable, and to cover essential health benefits and state mandates. Those are ACA-equivalent requirements — which removed the economic rationale for a cheaper, limited short-term product. All carriers exited the Colorado short-term market in 2019, and none have returned.

The result: there are effectively no short-term medical plans to buy in Colorado. And the federal government's August 2025 decision not to enforce its own short-term rule has no effect here — Colorado applies its own definition regardless.

What to consider instead

Since short-term medical isn't a real option here, this is what Colorado residents can use (described as coverage types, not specific products):

Connect for Health Colorado (the ACA marketplace) — comprehensive major-medical coverage that covers essential health benefits, can't turn you down for pre-existing conditions, and may come with income-based subsidies. This is the primary route to real coverage in Colorado.

Medicaid — Colorado has expanded Medicaid, which covers many low-income residents at little or no cost. Worth checking first.

Fixed indemnity and other excepted benefits — supplemental coverage that pays limited, defined benefits. Colorado tightened the rules in 2025 (Regulation 4-2-40, effective October 1, 2025): these must be a separate policy, carry a page-1 consumer notice, have no coordination of benefits, and may not be marketed as an ACA substitute. Not a substitute for major medical.

As an independent, carrier-neutral brokerage, we don't sell short-term plans in Colorado — there are none to sell. We can help you compare the coverage that is available.

How enrollment works here

Colorado runs its own state-based marketplace, Connect for Health Colorado (connectforhealthco.com), for ACA plans. Enrollment works on a schedule:

Open Enrollment happens once a year, typically each fall through early winter, for coverage that starts the following January.

Special Enrollment Periods are available year-round if you have a qualifying life event — for example, losing job-based coverage, moving, getting married, or having a baby.

Medicaid is different: you can apply any time of year, and if you qualify, coverage can start without waiting for Open Enrollment. It's worth checking Medicaid eligibility before anything else.

What it costs

Because short-term medical isn't sold in Colorado, the real cost question is about the coverage that is available — and we don't quote premiums here, since they depend on your situation. A few factors to keep in mind:

For Connect for Health Colorado plans, your premium depends on income (which determines subsidy eligibility), age, area, tobacco use, and the metal level you choose. Many Colorado residents qualify for subsidies that lower the monthly cost.

For Medicaid, coverage is available at little or no cost to those who qualify, based mainly on household income and size.

For fixed indemnity or excepted benefits, cost depends on the benefit amounts and who's covered — but remember these are supplemental, so you'd typically pair them with real coverage, not rely on them alone.

Matthew T. Giberti Licensed Expert · NPN 20698856 · Updated July 2026

Short-term medical insurance is not practically available in Colorado; the state's rules require any such plan to meet ACA-equivalent standards, and no carrier offers one. Fixed indemnity and other excepted benefits that remain legal in Colorado are supplemental coverage — they are not minimum essential coverage under the Affordable Care Act, do not cover the full set of essential health benefits, and are not a substitute for major medical coverage.

GetHealthPlans.com is operated by MTG Insurance Agency, an independent, carrier-neutral brokerage. We do not issue insurance and are not a government agency or the health insurance marketplace. Regulatory details on this page reflect Colorado law and Colorado Division of Insurance guidance as of the last-reviewed date and can change; confirm current details before making coverage decisions.