Residents and business owners in Archuleta County have a new option for buying health insurance.
The nonprofit Peak Health Alliance has partnered with Elevate Health Plans by Denver Health Medical Plan to bring budget-friendly health insurance coverage to Archuleta County.
The open enrollment period to sign up for coverage begins on November 1 for coverage beginning January 1, 2024.
We want to thank Pagosa Springs Medical Group, Pagosa Springs Medical Center, Archuleta Integrated Healthcare, and Axis Health System. These facilities, doctors and other providers stepped forward and agreed to work with Peak Health Alliance and, more importantly, to support their communities with a new and a budget-friendly option,” said Anne Ladd, CEO of Peak Health Alliance. “They leaned-in, so we could bring more affordable health insurance options to their friends and neighbors.”
Additional doctors and medical offices are also being added to the network of providers who will accept Elevate Health Plans, said Ladd.
Archuleta becomes the fifth county in southwest Colorado to join Peak Health Alliance along with La Plata, Dolores, San Juan, and Montezuma counties. Peak also works with four mountain counties—Summit, Grand, Lake, and Park.
Elevate Health Plans are compliant with the Affordable Care Act and the Colorado Option and can be purchased through Connect for Health Colorado or directly through Elevate Health Plans.
Elevate Health Plans will be available at premium costs 5-10% lower than other plans based on preliminary rate filings. Final rates will be approved and released by the Colorado Division of Insurance later this month.
As an advocate for affordable coverage in the community, Peak Health Alliance works collaboratively with healthcare leaders and medical practitioners while building better access to both medical and mental health care through local doctor networks.
Because both Peak Health Alliance and Elevate Health Plans are not-for-profit organizations, they do not have private shareholders and can focus on their missions.
Elevate Health Plans offers Bronze, Silver, and Gold Colorado Option Plans to individuals and families who buy their own insurance. These plans are also available to businesses who elect to use an ICHRA (Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement) for employee coverage, which are employer-funded, tax-advantaged health benefits that allow employees to choose their own health plan while the employer covers some or all of the premium cost(s). Elevate Health Plans is owned by Denver Medical Health Plan, which has a quarter-century legacy of providing quality and affordable health care in Colorado.
The partnership between Peak Health Alliance and Elevate Health Plans has built a robust network of providers with comprehensive coverage, including:
- $0 preventative care services
- $0 to low-cost primary care visits
- $0 to low-cost mental health outpatient visits
- Local in-network providers, including specialists, primary care doctors, and mental health providers.
Consumers can shop for health insurance plans starting Nov. 1, 2023, through Jan. 15, 2024. For coverage to begin on Jan. 1, individuals will need to select a plan by Dec. 31.
Peak Health Alliance was formed in 2019 in Summit County when that county had some of the most expensive health premiums in the country. In the first three years of operations, Peak Health Alliance saved community members in eight rural mountain counties more than $16.1 million.
Those savings were achieved by analyzing health insurance claims data and other publicly available health care cost data pertinent to the communities Peak Health Alliance serves. This analysis becomes the starting point for conversations between the community and local hospitals, medical professionals, and insurance carriers.