Your State of Colorado Medical Plan Options
When choosing a medical plan, it's important to consider what you want to cover and the total cost of that coverage. For the same service, you may pay higher costs with one plan than you will with the other. The ideal medical plan should cover most of your health needs and stay within your budget.
The State offers multiple health plan options through Cigna and Kaiser Permanente. Compare Cigna and Kaiser Permanente coverage costs on our Plan Costs page.
What You Can Expect
Preventive Care
Preventive care visits are always no-cost; they help keep you healthy by screening for and preventing serious medical issues. Annual check-ups, flu shots, immunizations, and some tests and screenings are all examples of preventive care.
Many preventive medications, including some insulin brands, cardiovascular drugs, antidepressants, and more, are available at no cost to you. Preventive and diagnostic colonoscopies are covered at 100% on all copay medical plans, whether or not polyps are removed.
Outpatient Mental Wellness
Outpatient mental health services include treatment that takes place in a clinical setting, office, or hospital, but does not involve an overnight stay. These services are 100% covered by the copay medical plans. Kaiser Permanente High-Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) members must meet their deductible before 100% coverage. Cigna HDHP members receive three no-cost visits per issue, per year.
Virtual Visits & Telemedicine
Skip the waiting room and speak with a board-certified physician over the phone or on your computer. Phone consultations and online video visits give you direct access to a licensed medical professional who can:
- Treat common medical conditions, such as colds, flu, bronchitis, allergies, rashes, etc.
- Provide specialist referrals
- Prescribe short-term medication
Cigna members: To schedule an appointment, visit mycigna.com or download the myCigna mobile app.
Kaiser Permanente members: Visit kp.org or download the Kaiser Permanente mobile app.
These services are available with all medical plans (Cigna and Kaiser Permanente).
Choose the Right Place for Care
Need medical attention but it’s not a true emergency? Save time and money by using virtual visits or urgent care. Emergency room costs are expensive, and visits can take hours. Virtual visits and urgent care centers provide quality care just like the ER, but you could save hundreds of dollars and hours of time for non-life-threatening issues.
Virtual Visit
Benefits include lower costs, speaking to a doctor from anywhere, and reducing the time you wait to speak to a medical professional.
Reasons to go:
- Headaches
- Fever & flu symptoms
- Cough, cold & sore throat
- Skin irritations & rashes
Primary Care Provider
Benefits include in-person examinations, low in-network pricing, and the familiarity of a regular personal care provider.
Everside Health offers a high-quality, cost-effective, advanced primary care solution for our Cigna members. Benefits include standard one-hour appointment windows, no-cost preventive care and chronic condition management, and more. Visit our Everside Health page to learn more.
Reasons to go:
- Fever & flu symptoms
- Cough, cold & sore throat
- Earaches and infections
- Preventive care
- Headaches
- Regular treatment for chronic conditions
- Abdominal pain
- Skin irritations & rashes
Urgent Care Center
Benefits include lower costs than an emergency room visit and there are often same-day visits available.
Reasons to go:
- Earaches & infections
- Minor cuts, bumps, sprains & burns
- Fever & flu symptoms
- Allergic reactions
- Animal bites
- Mild asthma
- Headaches
- Urinary tract infections
- Back & joint pain
Emergency Room (ER)
ERs are necessary for life-threatening conditions.
Reasons to go:
- Sudden numbness or weakness
- Disorientation or difficulty speaking
- Seizure or loss of consciousness
- Severe cuts or burns
- Overdoses
- Uncontrolled bleeding
- Coughing or vomiting blood
- Heart attack or chest pain
Questions?
Have questions about your State benefits package? Contact your agency's Benefits Administrator.
Cancer Screening Webinars
Join CDPHE and DHR to learn about common cancers, your screening options, and the State of Colorado’s related health care benefits.
- Cervical Cancer (Recording) (Presentation Slides)
- Lung Cancer (Recording) (Presentation Slides)
- Colorectal Cancer (Recording) (Presentation Slides)
- Breast Cancer (Recording) (Presentation Slides)
Gender-Affirming Care
Learn about the gender-affirming care options available to State of Colorado employees below.