Kansas open enrollment 2027 Open enrollment · Kansas

Kansas Open Enrollment 2027 for Small Business Owners

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

Short answer

For small business owners 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. Your own coverage can also come from a private, medically underwritten plan, which does not wait for the window: if approved, it can start the first of any month.

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.

Group plans can renew at any point in the year, so open enrollment matters to owners for two reasons: an individual coverage HRA, or ICHRA, reimburses employees for individual plans they choose, and most of that shopping happens in this window; and an owner covering only the household buys in the individual market too. For your own household, the 2027 subsidy line is $63,840 for one person, $86,560 for two and $132,000 for four.

Kansas this year

Kansas shows one of the widest gaps between markets for 2027. Final individual increases average about 19.5 percent, while small employers' group renewals average about 12.4 percent. Five insurers filed, one is exiting, and two of them are regional companies that split much of Kansas between them, so a Johnson County real estate brokerage and a western Kansas wheat and cattle operation can face completely different options. Wichita aviation contractors, I-70 trucking firms and oil and gas service companies should treat the group renewal as the starting point this year, because employees moved to an ICHRA would land in a fast-rising individual market with thin choices outside the cities.

Small-group plans in Kansas average about 12.4% for 2027, against 19.5% for individual plans, so put this year's group renewal next to an ICHRA quote before you sign it.

One thing to do before you choose

Final Kansas individual rates appear on HealthCare.gov now that enrollment is open, so pull real 2027 quotes for several employees in Overland Park, Topeka or Manhattan before deciding anything. A group renewal close to that 12.4 percent average probably makes renewing the simpler path. If it comes back far higher, run the ICHRA comparison with those posted prices.

Your checklist

Your 2027 group renewal letter and its effective date
How many employees you have and where they live
A fixed monthly ICHRA budget you could offer
Your own household's coverage, priced separately

Private plan or Marketplace?

Private plan

For the owner's own household when everyone is healthy: priced on age, ZIP code and health. Approval depends on health answers; not an ACA Marketplace plan.

Marketplace

For employees on an ICHRA, or an owner with ongoing care: HealthCare.gov accepts everyone 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.

Does Kansas let employees of a very small business keep group coverage after leaving?

Yes. Kansas requires insured group health plans to let employees who lose coverage for any reason other than cause continue it for 18 months, once they have been enrolled at least three months. The rule applies no matter how small the employer is, including two- or three-person shops.

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.