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The following
information is provided by Colorado Legal Services. It
is intended as general information only, and is not
meant as legal advice for any specific situation. If you
need legal advice, consult an attorney.
Cover Colorado, Previously
the Colorado
Uninsurable Health Insurance Plan (CUHIP)
Cover Colorado is a
Colorado program that offers health insurance to
Colorado residents who cannot purchase affordable health
insurance because of preexisting medical conditions.
Cover Colorado offers two programs: a statewide
preferred provider organization (PPO), and a Health
Maintenance Organization (HMO).
To be eligible for the
Cover Colorado program, an applicant must:
1. have applied to an
insurance company for health insurance and been rejected
because of present health or a previous medical
condition; or been accepted with an exclusion of
coverage for a preexisting medical condition for a
period exceeding six months; or been accepted but at a
premium rate exceeding the rate available through CUHIP;
or,
2. have one of the following medical conditions: AIDS or
HIV, metatastic cancer, cirrhosis of the liver, Crohn's
disease, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, insulin dependent,
hemophilia, huntington's disease, kidney disease
requiring dialysis, leukemia, lupus erythematosus
disseminate, malignant, tumor within four years,
multiple or disseminated sclerosis, myasthenia gravis,
paraplegia or quadriplegia, parkinson's disease,
psychotic disorders, or stroke.
The applicant must also
not have had health insurance coverage terminated for
non-payment of premiums.
Applicants must also:
1. be U. S. Citizens,
have legal alien status, or be adopted children;
2. have permanently
resided in Colorado for at least six months;
3. not owe any amount of
Colorado Income Tax;
4. not be eligible for
Medicare, Medicaid or other public or private programs;
5. have not been
terminated from the Plan less than twelve months prior
to the date of the current application;
6. have not received
$500,000 in benefits from CUHIP; and
7. not be inmates or
residents of public institutions.
During the first six
months expenses related to pre-existing conditions are
not covered. A pre-existing condition is an injury,
sickness or pregnancy for which one has incurred
charges, received medical treatment or consulted a
healthcare professional within six months immediately
preceding the effective date of coverage. If the patient
has taken prescription medications or insulin for the
condition, or he or she has received diagnostic testing
to monitor a condition, the condition is considered to
be preexisting.
The waiting period can
be partly or wholly waived if the applicant's previous
coverage terminated within 90 days of the effective date
of CUHIP coverage. Such "prior credible coverage" can
include Medicaid.
To enroll in Cover
Colorado, call 1-800-672-8447 or 303-863-1960. |
