People shopping for health insurance in the individual market in Summit and Grand Counties can remember Peak Health Alliance. While Peak sponsored projects were still available in 2021 and 2022, they disappeared in 2023.
“Our long-standing health insurance partner, Bright Health, went out of business before 2023,” explains Rich Cimino, Peak’s New CEO. “We had to spend all of 2023 to integrate our network with a new insurance partner. This time we chose another non-profit in Colorado, Denver Health Medical Plan (DHMP). They share our goal. of working to make health insurance more affordable.”
For 2024 Peak has also supported plans, now called Elevate Health Plans by DHMP. “We work very well with Denver Health Medical Plan,” Cimino says. “They have provided health insurance since 1997. They have a healthy financial picture and are expanding into many counties throughout Colorado.”
That said, some people have expressed concern or confusion about Denver Health’s Medical Plan. Is it part of the Denver Health Hospital System in Denver, founded in 1860 and now 164 years old? As Cimino explains, “Denver Health is an independent non-profit organization from a health insurance company. In 1997, they created Denver Health Medical Plan. They have -Different CEOs, different employees and different jobs. Their insurance company is now 27 years old;
There is another reason Peak chose Denver Health Medical Plan as their partner. As many Upstate residents remember, another health insurance company, Friday Health Plans, went out of business in 2023. The Colorado Division of Insurance announced in July that consumers were has until August 31.St choosing a new company.
That change can cost consumers thousands of dollars because the new health insurance company often won’t honor the reduced payments made under the previous plan. Only two companies in Colorado honored the reduced payments Friday’s customers had already paid: Kaiser Permanente and Denver Health Medical Plan.
“Denver Health Medical Plan was only in four states by 2023, so while it was great that they were helping early customers on Friday, many Coloradoans couldn’t switch to them. With the help of Peak, Denver Health Medical Plan has expanded to nine new counties by 2024, including Grand and Summit,” Cimino explained.
While the primary focus of Peak Health Alliance is to serve the consumer, Peak also seeks to support providers, including hospitals, physicians and physicians. “We strive to get more people insured, and encourage our members to seek medical help locally instead of traveling to Denver or other distant places. If we reduce the uncertainty and reduce medical migration, local hospitals and doctors will see more patients. This is important because rural health care is a difficult business. We want to send more businesses to local providers.”
Peak plans a long-term presence in the Central Mountains and Western Colorado. Most of the preparations for 2025 are over, and work has already begun for 2026. health in time.’ We know this will take a while!I just want our customers to know when they choose an Elevate plan, they are supporting two non-profit organizations fighting to improve health care, little by little, for a year. and a year.”
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