Kansas open enrollment 2027 Open enrollment · Kansas

Kansas Open Enrollment 2027 for People Between Jobs

Last updated November 3, 2026 · By Frank Caballero, licensed health insurance broker

Short answer

For people between jobs in Kansas, open enrollment for 2027 coverage runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027 on HealthCare.gov, and December 15 is the date to choose by for a January 1 start. If you are healthy, a private, medically underwritten plan is another route that ignores the calendar: if approved, it can start the first of any month, right after your job coverage ends.

What 2027 looks like for you

Kansas's average 2027 rate change is 19.5% (finalized). One insurer is leaving Kansas's individual market, so some renewals arrive as a plan you did not pick. The details are on the Kansas 2027 premium increase page.

Losing job-based coverage opens a 60-day special enrollment period, and open enrollment runs at the same time this fall, so most people between jobs have two doors open at once. Federal COBRA, where it applies, lasts up to 18 months at up to 102% of the full premium. Any Marketplace subsidy depends on your 2027 household income, with the line at $63,840 for one person and $86,560 for two.

Kansas this year

Kansas rates are final, placing the 2027 individual increase at about 19.5 percent, while small-group renewals run about 12.4 percent. Of the five insurers filing, one is exiting, and two are regional plans dividing much of the state, so where you live shapes your options. Kansas has one of the broader continuation rules: any employee whose insured group coverage ends for a reason other than cause may continue it for 18 months, provided they were enrolled three months, no matter how small the employer. That protects aviation contractors in Wichita and oil and gas workers alike.

State continuation in Kansas: Kansas requires insured group health plans to let employees who lose coverage for any reason other than cause continue it for 18 months, after at least three months on the plan, and the rule applies no matter how small the employer is.

One thing to do before you choose

Because Kansas continuation applies even at very small employers, ask your former employer or its insurer for the election paperwork in writing. Then check final 2027 prices on HealthCare.gov, which shows the real numbers now that open enrollment has begun. A two-person household should estimate the full year from every source, then compare it against the $86,560 subsidy line before choosing.

Your checklist

The exact date your job coverage ends, in writing
Your COBRA notice and its election deadline
Severance and final pay in your 2027 income estimate
A private quote while COBRA is still in reserve

Private plan or Marketplace?

Private plan

Healthy and between roles: priced on age, ZIP code and health, with COBRA kept in reserve. Approval depends on health answers; not an ACA Marketplace plan.

Marketplace

Ongoing treatment, or a year of lower income: HealthCare.gov must accept you within the 60-day window or during open enrollment.

Compare Kansas plans this open enrollment

Private plans priced first, the Marketplace alongside when it fits. Phone or video, English or Spanish, no fee.

Get a quote Book a call (786) 218-2384

About your broker

Frank Caballero (NPN 21032307), licensed in 31 states including Kansas. Phone or video, English or Spanish, no fee; independent, not HealthCare.gov or any government agency.

Questions

When is the 2027 open enrollment deadline in Kansas?

January 15, 2027 on HealthCare.gov. Choose by December 15, 2026 for coverage that starts January 1; plans picked after that start February 1.

I worked for a five-person firm in Overland Park. Does Kansas still let me keep the plan?

Generally yes, provided the coverage was an insured plan and you had three months of enrollment. Kansas continuation runs 18 months and applies regardless of employer size, unless you were let go for cause. Compare that full premium with Johnson County options on HealthCare.gov before you elect.

Can I get a private plan in Kansas after open enrollment closes?

Yes. You can apply in any month and, if approved, a private plan can start the first of a month; the insurer can decline based on health answers.

More for Kansas

Official sources: HealthCare.gov, the federal Marketplace; HealthCare.gov: special enrollment periods. FC Insurance Solutions is an independent, licensed brokerage and is not affiliated with any government agency.

Written by Frank Caballero, licensed health insurance broker in Kansas and 30 other states, NPN 21032307. Last updated November 3, 2026.