and Public recruitment period With health insurance in full swing, the Colorado Department of Insurance has released a guide to how the state’s individual and small group plans will cover you. Gender-affirming care similarly HIV prevention and treatment.
“Inclusive, inclusive and affirming access to health care is fundamental to the well-being of the LGBTQ+ community,” Nadine Bridges, executive director of the LGBTQ+ advocacy organization One Colorado, said in a news release.
Individuals and small employers (99 employees or fewer) can purchase insurance plans from six insurance carriers through the state’s marketplace, Connect for Health Colorado. This includes Anthem, Cigna, Denver Health, Kaiser Permanente, Rocky Mountain Health Plans, and Select Health.
The Department of Health Services provides information about which plans, both on and off the market, cover common services in its guide to gender-affirming care and HIV prevention and treatment.
The Gender Affirming Care Guide includes information about coverage for various hormone therapy services and surgical procedures. The HIV Guide shares coverage information for a variety of prescription drugs to prevent and treat the virus.
Both guides also describe what requirements and protections states have in place regarding coverage of these services and prescriptions. In 2023, Colorado became the first state to explicitly include gender-affirming care services in its baseline health insurance plan for essential health benefits.
