Today, January 10th, is the payment deadline for most Connect for Health Colorado policies with January 1 effective dates. A few carriers have pushed the deadline out a little bit:
- Updated Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is moving the payment deadline to 1/31 for 1/1 effective dates.
- Delta Dental: January 15.
- Premier Access Dental and Vision: January 15.
- Updated Kaiser Permanente: February 15 (yes, for the 1/1 effective dates!).
- Humana: January 31.
- Updated Cigna (submitted through Connect for Health) January 31.
This chart from Connect for Health Colorado includes phone numbers for the carriers, along with online payment information where it’s available. If you applied for a January 1 effective date and have not paid for your policy yet, call your carrier immediately to see if you can pay online or over the phone.
If you purchased separate health and dental plans, you’ll be paying two separate premiums, so make sure they’re both paid on time.
The shifting deadlines and extensions for the January payment were a one-time thing. The deadline to pay February’s premium is January 25. You can pay both January and February’s premium at once if you like, either online or over the phone when you call your carrier.
Your coverage is not in force until you have paid for it. Most carriers are not sending out ID cards until they receive payment, but even if you do get an ID card in the mail, be aware that you do not have coverage until you’ve paid the first premium. As long as you pay your January premium by the due date (in most cases, that’s today, Friday January 10), your coverage will be back-dated to January 1. If you’ve seen a doctor since then, you can submit the receipts to your carrier and you’ll be reimbursed in accordance with the terms of your policy (remember that copays, deductibles and coinsurance apply, so you’ll still have some out-of-pocket costs in most cases).
UPDATE: To answer some Frequently Asked Questions today, remember:
- Colorado HealthOP is still today, January 10.