FROM THE KANSAS HEALTH INSTITUTE:

The launch of the Affordable Care Act’s online marketplace has had obvious technical problems, and the political debate continues across the country. Despite this, many Kansans now have new options to consider for their health insurance.

The troubled online system has prevented most interested Kansans from shopping for health insurance on the site, and it is difficult to know what plans they can purchase and what they will cost.

The Kansas Health Institute (KHI) has put together information on each county of the private insurers offering coverage, the various plans available, and the cost of those plans. This information is available on our website at www.khi.org/premiumratingareas.

The KHI report includes the premium tax credit, based on family size and income, in the calculation of the total monthly cost for representative families and individuals. Prices are included for each of the four coverage “tiers” – bronze, silver, gold and platinum – plus catastrophic plans available only to those under age 30 or those with a hardship exemption.

“Many Kansans who are interested in what insurance coverage they can get, and what it will cost them, have not been able to get that information,” said Robert F. St. Peter, M.D., KHI President and CEO, and an author of the report. “We hope this informs people about the options they are likely to find once they can get into the federal website.”

The Kansas Health Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, independent health policy and research organization based in Topeka, Kansas. Established in 1995 with a multi-year grant from the Kansas Health Foundation, the Kansas Health Institute conducts research and policy analysis on issues that affect the health of Kansans.