Colorado Open Enrollment 2026: Top 5 Mistakes People Make (And How to Avoid Them)
Colorado Open Enrollment shows up once a year like clockwork—bringing with it deadlines, fine print, and just enough confusion to make smart people make bad decisions with their health insurance.
At White Hat Insurance Advisors, we see the same avoidable mistakes year after year. If you want to avoid wrecking your coverage, overpaying, or ending up stuck with a plan that doesn’t fit, start here.
1. Waiting Until the Last Minute
Ah yes, the classic “I’ll do it later.” Here’s what waiting until the final days gets you:
- Rushed, panicked decisions
- Missing documents
- Zero chance to ask questions
- Enrollment errors or delays in coverage
Do this instead:
Start early. Look at your current plan in the first week of Open Enrollment. Make a list of what worked and what didn’t. Then, take your time comparing options.
2. Auto-Renewing Last Year’s Plan Without Reading the Fine Print
Just because your plan worked last year doesn’t mean it’s still a good idea. Carriers change constantly—prices, doctor networks, drug coverage, and benefits. If you blindly renew, you could be walking into a very expensive surprise.
Do this instead:
Actually compare your current plan with new options. Even if your life hasn’t changed, your plan probably has.
3. Not Checking if Your Doctors or Medications Are Still Covered
Networks shift. Medications move into higher pricing tiers. One year you’re good, the next your doctor is out of network and your prescription costs triple.
Do this instead:
Review your plan details before you renew. Make sure your doctors and prescriptions still line up with your coverage. It’s the easiest way to avoid surprises.
4. Choosing a Plan Based Only on the Monthly Premium
Yes, that low monthly premium looks attractive. Until you realize it comes with a sky-high deductible, a weak network, and coinsurance that makes you question your life choices.
Do this instead:
Look at the full picture—premium, deductible, copays, coinsurance, and out-of-pocket max. Ask yourself: what would this plan actually cost if I had to use it?
5. Doing It Alone When You’re Clearly Confused
Health insurance is a dumpster fire of acronyms, exclusions, and red tape. Trying to DIY your way through Open Enrollment is how people end up overpaying, under-covered– or both.
Do this instead:
Call someone who does this for a living. White Hat Insurance Advisors will walk you through the process, explain what matters, and help you make a decision you don’t regret later.
Final Thoughts
Open Enrollment isn’t just a yearly chore—it’s how you protect your health and your money for the next 12 months. Make the wrong call, and you’ll feel it every time you need care.
Avoid these common mistakes. Take your time. And for your sanity’s sake, don’t do this alone.
Need help with Colorado Open Enrollment 2026? That’s what we’re here for. Let’s hack your health insurance.