Spurred on by the pandemic and special enrollment periods, more than 17,000 additional Coloradans have signed up for a health insurance plan via the state’s Connect for Health Colorado program, the service announced Monday.

In all, roughly 195,000 Coloradans have signed up for insurance via Connect for Health in 2021, said Monica Caballeros, a spokesman for the service. That’s more than at any other point in its history, a trend driven by the economic effects of the pandemic on many residents and helped along by the repeated open enrollment periods offered over the past year.

“We’re here to provide relief to families who are figuring out their health insurance options at a time when the need for coverage has never been greater,” Kevin Patterson, the CEO for Connect for Health Colorado, said in a statement Monday.

“If you are looking for plans in your budget, now is the time to check out Connect for Health Colorado. We’re providing more savings on health insurance than ever before, and our doors are open until at least August 15th.”

There’s a scheduled open enrollment period each year, which stretches from November to January. But open enrollment was opened outside of that window twice in the past year: once last summer and again beginning Feb. 8. This latest reopening will extend into August, Caballeros said.

A person losing their job – and insurance – would normally qualify them to sign up any time or plans via Connect for Health, she said. But some may not know that’s an option or know that there’s a time limit. But the public reopening this time likely helped many get signed up.

“People are coming through with a loss of (insurance) coverage or will lose coverage,” she said.

More than half of new enrollees have sought help through “brokers,” Caballeros said. Those staffers help guide customers through the process and can recommend specific plans for them, depending on their needs. Other volunteers and helpers have also played a role, and she said that the state has been building up its support infrastructure for several years.

“But the pandemic came a time when people needed extra help,” she said.

She attributed the success of this period to brokers, as well as to the most recent COVID relief package, which included savings for plans purchased on exchanges and programs like Connect for Health. According to a press release, “three out of four customers could potentially find a plan for $25 or less” with the new savings, and some may qualify for plans that have $0 in premium costs.

“To me, having so many people using that assistance network and broker network is really critical to our success,” Caballeros said.