Our impact in Colorado

In this section

Public policy

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Kaiser Permanente has provided care and coverage to Colorado residents since 1969. We’re proud to be one of Colorado’s largest health care providers and a leading nonprofit health plan.

Across the region, we have approximately 495,497 members, 34 medical offices, and a network of partner hospitals.

Our 6,604 physicians and employees in Colorado focus on improving the health of our members and communities in the Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs, and Pueblo areas.

Our history — and our future — are deeply connected to organized labor. More than 60% of our health care professionals in Colorado are union members. We work closely with the Service Employees International Union and the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union. Together, we work to make high-quality health care more accessible and affordable for everyone.

Key issues

Most Americans receive health care coverage through their employer. Employers generally choose between 2 ways of funding when they sponsor a health plan on behalf of their workforce: self-funded or fully insured.

Self-funded plans are an agreement in which the employer (or labor trust) directly takes on the financial risk of paying for their employees’ medical claims as they occur. With fully insured health plans, the employer purchases an insurance or coverage product through an insurer or coverage provider, such as Kaiser Permanente. The health insurer or coverage provider takes on the risk for the cost of covered care.

Self-funded plans are generally not subject to state regulations and requirements. As the largest provider of fully insured plans in Colorado, Kaiser Permanente has a much higher proportion of plans subject to state regulatory authority and state taxes and fees compared to other carriers in the state.

	Self-funded	Fully insured
Payments	The employer does not pay premiums; instead, it pays fixed costs (administrative fees and stop-loss premiums) and variable costs (employee health care claims).	The employer pays monthly premiums to an insurance carrier or coverage provider.
Assumption of risk	The employer assumes the risk.	The health plan or insurance company assumes the risk.
Compliance payments	The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 generally preempts state regulations and taxation.	The plan must comply with state regulations and taxation.
Regulatory authority	The federal government regulates.	The state and federal governments regulate.

Colorado market and health plan membership graph

Note: Market size according to Decision Resources Group as of January 2020, including individuals with dual Medicare and Medicaid coverage. Data for Colorado (statewide).

Colorado Market
Coverage	Percentage
Self-funded, administrative services only	30
Fully insured, under state taxing authority	25
Medicaid	24
Medicare Advantage	8
Medicare supplemental	13

Kaiser Permanente is 32.8% of the 25% of the fully insured market.

Kaiser Permanente of Colorado Health Plan membership as of August 31, 2020
Coverage	Percentage
Self-funded, administrative services only	3.8
Fully insured, under state taxing authority	71
Medicaid	6.5
Medicare Advantage	18.7

Tobacco is a leading cause of preventable death and disease in Colorado. Every year, Coloradans pay $2.9 billion for smoking-related health care costs.

Reducing tobacco use is critical to improving the health of our communities. This is why we advocate for policies that prevent people from starting to use tobacco products and help people who are already addicted quit.

In 2022, Kaiser Permanente strongly supported a Colorado House bill, HB22-1064, that would have banned the sale of flavored tobacco and nicotine products, including menthol cigarettes, across the state.

The legislation ultimately failed, but we’ll continue supporting laws that ban flavored tobacco products.

Flavors make tobacco products seem less harsh. And flavored products appeal to young people. Our goal is to give all young people a chance to grow up free from nicotine addiction.

We’re concerned about the burden high drug prices impose on our members and society.

We provide our members with safe, high-quality medications at a strong value for their dollar. We do this by:

Prescribing based on evidence
Negotiating drug prices
Using generics and biosimilars
Tracking safety and outcomes

As a health plan, provider, and pharmacy in one, we have a diverse perspective on the prescription drug marketplace. Our experience informs an array of policy positions designed to make prescription drugs more effective, safer, and more affordable.

Our impact

In 2024, we provided $110 million to support the health of Colorado communities. That amount includes the cost of providing charitable care and coverage.

Grants and donations: We distributed $5.6 million to community organizations across Colorado, supporting housing, food security, schools, and workforce development.
Charitable coverage and care: We dedicated $23.5 million to ensure access for uninsured and underinsured Coloradans, alongside $69.5 million invested in Medicaid and other government programs.
Support for rural clinics: In 2024, we partnered with the Colorado Rural Health Center to strengthen care in underserved areas, supporting 16 rural clinics to improve staffing and expand access to essential services. We also provided grant funding to the Colorado Community Health Network to enhance workforce sustainability among clinical support staff, helping community health centers continue delivering care to underserved populations statewide.
Food Is Medicine: We contributed $650,000 to food and nutrition initiatives, supporting 8 community partners. Together, we helped 71,000 people access critical food and nutrition resources.
Mental Health Workforce Accelerator: In 2024, we invested $4.2 million to strengthen Colorado’s behavioral health workforce. The program supported 56 licensure candidates, who together served more than 5,100 clients, helping expand access to mental health care across the state.
Housing for Health: In 2024, we supported medical respite care programs for people experiencing homelessness. This included Ascending to Health Respite Care in Colorado Springs, which hired 7 new staff and served 147 people; RecoveryWorks in Lakewood, which helped 110 people with emergency services and housing support; and the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, which expanded services by hiring a licensed practical nurse to care for more than 2,100 patients.
Thriving Schools: In 2024, we awarded $275,000 to the Chef Ann Foundation to expand scratch-cooked meals, and $1.5 million to the Public Education & Business Coalition to strengthen teacher retention and diversity. Thriving Schools resources were used by 19 districts and charter schools statewide.

Our care

Quality and service: Kaiser Permanente offers highly rated commercial health plans and the highest-rated Medicare health plan in Colorado, according to NCQA 2025 rankings.
Medicare Advantage: U.S. News and World Report named Kaiser Permanente of Colorado to its 2026 Best Insurance Companies for Medicare Advantage list.

Our people

Top doctors: Each year, 5280 magazine asks more than 7,500 Denver area doctors which doctors they’d trust to treat themselves and their families. In 2025, a record 355 Kaiser Permanente doctors were named Top Doctors by 5280. Kaiser Permanente also has the most top doctors in 23 medical specialty areas.

Strengthening Colorado together

Join us in shaping a healthier future for Colorado. At Kaiser Permanente, our dedicated care, comprehensive services, and community partnerships are designed to empower our members and strengthen communities. Together, we can achieve lasting health and wellness across the state.