DENVER – Today, Colorado’s healthcare insurance companies proposed average increases of 11% in the individual market and 9% in the small employer market as released by the Division of Insurance. The Colorado Consumer Health Initiative expressed alarm and frustration about these proposed increases and their painful impact on most of the state’s population. These preliminary filings are concerning as Colorado’s health insurance rates have been more stable in recent years, in part because of the state’s reinsurance program. Reinsurance has been providing significant support in keeping insurance rates approximately 23% lower than they would be, with initial DOI analysis suggesting that without reinsurance, consumers would have seen closer to a 34% increase in premiums.