Depending on the county, here are some of the insurance carriers your employees can choose from:

• Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield

• Cigna Healthcare

• Elevate Health Plans by Denver Health

• Medical Plan

• Kaiser Permanente

• Rocky Mountain Health Plans

• UnitedHealthcare

• Select Health

Note: All carriers on Colorado's exchange offer a Colorado Option plan at each metal tier, which is a standardized, lower-cost plan design unique to Colorado.

Yes, Colorado operates its own state health exchange called Connect for Health Colorado. This is where employees enroll in ACA-compliant plans and access federal premium tax credits.

Colorado Option is a standardized health plan design created by the state, offered by every carrier on the exchange at the bronze, silver, and gold tiers. It simplifies plan shopping by letting employees compare a consistent set of benefits across carriers, focusing mainly on network and price rather than differing plan structures. For 2026, roughly half of Colorado's marketplace enrollees chose a Colorado Option plan.

• QSEHRA (Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangement): For small businesses with fewer than 50 employees that don't offer a group plan. It has set annual contribution limits ($6,450 for individuals / $13,150 for families in 2026).

• ICHRA (Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement): For businesses of any size. There are no contribution limits, and you can offer different reimbursement amounts to different employee classes (e.g., $400/mo for full-time and $200/mo for part-time).

HRAs offer a double tax advantage in Colorado. Contributions made by the employer are 100% tax-deductible as a business expense, and the reimbursements received by employees are 100% tax-free. This makes every dollar spent on benefits go much further than a traditional salary increase.