Office of Kansas Insurance Commissioner
TOPEKA– Kansas consumers wanting health insurance through the federally-facilitated marketplace beginning Nov. 1 continue to have choices of health insurance companies, despite the recent loss of some company options.
Companies available through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) federal marketplace enrollment are Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, Inc., BlueCross BlueShield Kansas Solutions, Inc., Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (for consumers in Johnson and Wyandotte counties), and UnitedHealthcare of the Midwest, Inc.
Two Coventry health insurance companies will not participate in the state’s 2016 federally-facilitated marketplace, officials announced last week. They are Coventry Health and Life Insurance Co., which offers preferred provider plans; and Coventry Health Care of Kansas Inc., a health maintenance organization. Both companies are part of the corporate structure of Inc., a national health insurance organization.
Consumers wanting to look at the marketplace plan information prior to enrollment will be able to do so on a special section of the Kansas Insurance Department’s website, www.ksinsurance.org
Department statistics now show that fewer than three percent of the Kansas population of 2.9 million has insurance through marketplace enrollment.
“Coventry’s departure from the federal marketplace was a company decision, but Kansans still have a choice of other companies for the upcoming open enrollment period,” said Ken Selzer, CPA, Kansas Commissioner of Insurance. “Those who currently have Coventry health plans purchased from the online marketplace should be prepared to change companies when the open enrollment period begins Nov. 1.”
The two Coventry companies covered approximately 45,000 lives through federal marketplace plans as of Sept. 30, 2015, according to the Kansas Insurance Department (KID).
“We know that marketplace consumers will have questions of both KID and of the navigator programs in the state,” Commissioner Selzer said. “We will assist callers through our Consumer Assistance Division by answering questions they have or by referring them to the proper agencies for help. We are expecting Coventry to send notices to their customers explaining their position and providing information on their coverage now and in the future.”
The online marketplace exchange in Kansas is operated by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, whose website is www.healthcare.gov.
“Kansans’ concerns about insurance are a major priority for the department, and we will assist those impacted by the Coventry decision in working through their health insurance issues,” Commissioner Selzer said.
The department’s Consumer Assistance Hotline is 800-432-2484.