by Dan Margolies, Kansas News Service
Kansans seeking health insurance through the Affordable Care Act’s federally run exchange will have the choice of three insurers in 2019. Wyandotte and Johnson counties will have two insurers.
Kansas Insurance Commissioner Ken Selzer said in a statement that Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, Medica Insurance Co. and Ambetter from Sunflower Health Plan will offer 23 separate plans for individuals through HealthCare.gov, the federal government exchange, to Kansans.
Medica’s plans will be available in every county. Blue Cross’ plans will be available in every county except Johnson and Wyandotte. Ambetter’s plans will be available in Johnson, Wyandotte, Miami and Leavenworth counties.
Open enrollment for 2019 begins Nov. 1 and ends Dec. 15.
“During open enrollment, Kansans need to evaluate whether to enroll in coverage, stay on their current policies, if available, or enroll in different policies,” Selzer said in a statement.
The same three insurers offered plans in Kansas last year.
About 3 percent of Kansans purchase individual plans through healthcare.gov. Just over 98,000 Kansans got coverage in 2018 through the exchange, about the same number as in 2017.
The insurance department previously announced that the proposed average rate increase for individual and small group coverage for 2019 was less than 6 percent.
In Missouri, four insurers are offering plans on the federally run exchange: Anthem’s Healthy Alliance Life; Cigna; Ambetter; and Medica.
Average proposed rates in Missouri also are up modestly over 2018. Healthy Alliance Life has proposed a 3.67 percent increase; Cigna a 7.3 percent hike; and Ambetter, an 8.6 percent decrease. Medica is new to the state.
More than 243, 000 Missourians obtained health insurance in 2018 through HealthCare.gov.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City exited Wyandotte and Johnson counties’ ACA market about a year ago.
Dan Margolies is a senior reporter and editor at KCUR. You can reach him on Twitter @DanMargolies
Kansas News Service stories and photos may be republished at no cost with proper attribution and a link back to the original post.
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