Short-term health plans are not sold in Colorado

If you have landed here looking for a short-term medical plan in Colorado, here is the short answer: no insurance company currently sells short-term health insurance in Colorado. Carriers stopped offering these plans in the state in 2019, and none have returned since.

This is not a quirk of one agency or one website. Colorado applied a set of consumer-protection rules to short-term plans that made them look very much like full ACA coverage, and the companies that sold them chose to leave the market rather than meet those standards.

You may still see short-term plans advertised nationally, or find quoting sites that ask for your ZIP code and then go quiet. That is why. The good news is that Coloradans have real alternatives, and several of them are likely to cost you less than a short-term plan would have.

What Colorado law says

Short-term limited-duration insurance is still defined in Colorado statute — it simply is not being sold. Under state law:

• A short-term policy is non-renewable and can last no longer than six months.
• It cannot be issued to anyone who has already had more than one short-term policy from any carrier in the previous 12 months.
• Since April 1, 2019, any short-term plan sold in Colorado must be guaranteed issue (no medical underwriting), must cover the essential health benefits, must cap age rating at a 3:1 ratio, and must meet a minimum 80% medical loss ratio.

Those last requirements are essentially the ACA rules. Once short-term plans had to be priced and underwritten like major medical coverage, the price advantage disappeared, and carriers withdrew.

What to do instead

1. An ACA plan through Connect for Health Colorado

This is the right answer for most people. Colorado's marketplace plans are guaranteed issue, cover pre-existing conditions, and — for a large share of applicants — come with premium tax credits that bring the monthly cost well below what an unsubsidized short-term plan used to be. Get an on-exchange quote or read more about on-exchange coverage.

2. A Special Enrollment Period, if something changed

You do not have to wait for Open Enrollment if you have had a qualifying life event — losing job-based coverage, moving, getting married, having a baby, or aging off a parent's plan at 26. These events open a limited window to enroll. If you are not sure whether you qualify, ask us — it takes a minute to check.

3. Health First Colorado or CHP+

If your income is low, or you are covering children, you may qualify for Health First Colorado (Colorado's Medicaid program) or Child Health Plan Plus. There is no enrollment window for these — you can apply at any time of year.

4. COBRA, if you are leaving a job

COBRA lets you keep your employer's plan for a limited period. It is often more expensive than a subsidized marketplace plan, so it is worth comparing the two before you commit. See our COBRA FAQ.

5. Supplemental coverage you can still buy year-round

Short-term major medical is gone in Colorado, but these are available with no enrollment window and can sit alongside an ACA plan:

• Accident, hospital indemnity and critical illness plans
• Dental insurance and vision plans
• Travel medical coverage if you are going abroad

Be aware that these are limited-benefit products. They pay cash benefits for specific events; they are not a substitute for major medical coverage.

Common questions

Can I buy a short-term plan from another state and use it in Colorado?

No. Short-term policies are issued based on your state of residence, so a plan marketed in a state where these plans are still sold is not available to a Colorado resident. If a website offers you one anyway, be careful — and call us before you give anyone a payment.

I only need coverage for two or three months. What are my options?

A marketplace plan through a Special Enrollment Period is usually the cleanest answer, and you can drop it when your new coverage starts. Medicaid and COBRA are worth checking too. We can walk through all three with you in a short call.

What about health care sharing ministries or fixed-indemnity plans?

These are sometimes marketed as short-term alternatives. They are not insurance in the same sense — sharing ministries are not regulated as insurance and are not required to pay claims, and fixed-indemnity plans pay a set dollar amount rather than covering your actual bills. We will tell you honestly whether one fits your situation.

Talk to a licensed Colorado agent

We are an independent Colorado agency, and there is no fee for our help. Call (855) 847-7020, request a quote online, or send us a message and we will find the coverage that actually exists for your situation.

Insurance rules change. The information above reflects Colorado law and market availability as of August 2026 — confirm current options with a licensed agent before you enroll.