Resort towns may get reprieve from high health insurance rates

Listen Now
9min 44sec

Photo: Health Insurance Benefits (iStock)Public comments overwhelmingly support Colorado's plan to reduce high health insurance premiums in four mountain resort counties. That's according to the state's insurance commissioner.

The mountain counties are home to the highest health insurance premiums in America – they include Aspen, Vail, Breckenridge and Glenwood Springs.

Last week Insurance Commissioner Marguerite Salazar proposed grouping those counties with most others on the Western Slope to reduce the high resort county prices. That plan that will probably make rates go up in most Western Slope counties. Salazar asked for public comments on her proposal, and got 138.

"And out of those 138, 117 were supportive of us making the change," she said.

Salazar said she got no comments opposing her proposed change from the counties where prices will likely go up.

Her decision now goes to the White House for approval.

How much prices actually go up or down won't be known until August or September.