Battling cancer for the second time, Craig resident Ed Brown believes the assistance he received from a local nonprofit agency to untangle his health insurance coverage was a “godsend.”

In the past year, Brown and his wife have been dealing with both of them losing their jobs, frequent trips to Shaw Cancer Center in Edwards and maintaining health care coverage for intensive chemotherapy treatments for lung cancer.

Out of desperation after losing his employment, Brown, 64, enrolled in an expensive health insurance plan via an out-of-state broker. That insurance agent was not versed on appropriate coverage for the Browns through the Colorado health care exchange marketplace called Connect for Health Colorado.

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“I panicked. Each chemo treatment was $33,000, so I couldn’t afford to be without insurance for even a few weeks,” Brown said. “I was just trying to maintain (coverage). I had no idea how I was going to pay for that.”

A few months later, Brown turned to nonprofit The Health Partnership Serving Northwest Colorado whose staff helped the couple find an Anthem medical care plan for $54 per month through Connect for Health, which allows customers to apply for financial assistance to pay for private insurance.

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That affordable $54 monthly rate beat out the other options of $868 per month for continued employer-group insurance through the federal COBRA benefit, $750 per month from the out-of-state broker’s advised plan and even $320 per month through his employer when Brown was working.

The Health Partnership provides free assistance to residents to obtain discounted insurance through the state’s exchange marketplace. Memorial Regional Health in Craig also has certified application counselors to help people applying for Connect for Health or for Medicaid.

“I was amazed at the exchange,” Brown said. “(Kimberly Fox at The Health Partnership) was a godsend for me. She took off the stress of the whole situation. She cut through all the BS.”

Brown’s story is one example experienced by many people in the Yampa Valley who may struggle to pay for insurance and not understand assistance options.

In 2023, 5.1% of residents in Routt, Moffat, Jackson and Rio Blanco counties did not have health insurance coverage compared to 4.6% statewide average, according to the nonprofit Colorado Health Institute. An institute spokesman stressed that 5.1% regional uninsured rate is expected to rise during the next two-year survey starting in February.

“Over the years, we have seen higher uninsured rates in western Colorado, especially in the I-70 corridor,” said Joe Hanel, communications director for the Colorado Health Institute. “The reason is probably the higher price of insurance makes it less affordable. Plus, fewer people have jobs with health benefits. But salaries are higher than other parts of rural Colorado, so Medicaid membership is lower.”

In addition, Routt County Department of Human Services can help people sign up for Colorado Medicaid – called Health First Colorado – available for low-income families, children and pregnant women who meet eligibility requirements.

“Due to the high cost of living, many people while still struggling financially, are over income to qualify for Medicaid,” noted Kelly Kissling, Routt County director of human services.

During the state of Colorado fiscal year 2023-24, almost 11.3% of the Routt County population was enrolled in Medicaid, according the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, representing almost $24.9 million in expenses. In comparison, almost 27.6% of Moffat residents were on Medicaid representing $35.7 in expenses.

Health Coverage Program Manager Kimberly Fox with The Health Partnership explained various reasons why residents in Routt, Moffat and Rio Blanco counties may not have health insurance. Some people do not prioritize the expense of premiums for private insurance, which continues to rise each year, Fox said. Other residents have not taken the time to explore if they are eligible for financial assistance.

“Insurance coverage may seem so overwhelming and complex that they put it out of mind,” Fox said. “It’s always worth the time to come and check on eligibility.”

Connect for Health has become an increasingly utilized option in the Yampa Valley. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 1,820 people in Routt County signed up for plan year, and that increased 69% to 3,082 for 2025. In Moffat County, those enrollment numbers were 225 for 2020 and more than doubled to 505 for 2025.

Fox said some small business owners who want to offer health insurance to their employees could instead offer a stipend to employees who then buy health insurance with lower premiums through the state’s marketplace.

Although the Connect for Health open enrollment period is Nov. 1 to Jan. 15 each year, residents can apply for discounted insurance any time if it is within 60 days of a major life-changing event ranging from marriage to job loss.

Undocumented individuals – who are not eligible for Medicaid or Connect for Health – may instead try the participant-limited OmniSalud option, Fox said. In addition, a new state-sponsored program called Cover All Coloradans started Jan. 1 to provide accessible health coverage to eligible children 18 and younger and pregnant women regardless of immigration status.

Some downsides to more affordable insurance options through Connect for Health are the lack of dental and vision coverage. Also, many plans utilize contracted in-network providers, so coverage is limited to in-network medical care except during an emergency.

Editor’s note: This story is the first in a two-part story about the health insurance outlook in the Yampa Valley.