Connect for Health Colorado staffers recommend that the state health insurance exchange add 23 full-time positions next year, a 43 percent increase in the current level of 53 slots.
Officials have been saying for months that the staff, with 14 vacancies, was too small to operate the exchange efficiently.
Under the proposal, the current staff would be increased to 76, including more people to test the IT system and to assist auditors, with 11 contractor positions eliminated.
Former interim CEO Gary Drews, who has stayed on at the exchange to steer the 2015-16 budget through to its final form in June, estimated the budget impact would be a $1.3 million increase.
Salary and benefits for the larger staff would be an estimated $3.1 million, but the decrease in contractor budget would be $1.8 million, according to budget documents.
Exchange officials continue to mull the budget with big unknowns, such as the amount of any Medicaid reimbursement, muddying the picture.
Even with the recent board approval of fee increases, which won’t come into the exchange for another year, the currently estimated net operating deficit for the exchange is $2.9 million in fiscal year 2015-16. With capital expenditures and projects, such as IT system improvements, the net deficit would be $11.6 million.
Date: May 20, 2015