a cce s s H ea l t h N ews . n e t
J a n u a ry 2 0 2 6
Volume 11 | Issue No. 103
23
Soon after the subsidies expired, both Missouri
and Kansas saw enrollment decline during
the first month people could sign up for
2026 plans, even as national enrollment
ticked slightly upward, according to data
from the Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services reported by CNN.
When insurance becomes unaffordable,
people stop buying it. Some will return
if they get sick enough. Most will just
pray they do not. In 2025, Missouri
had 417,000 people enrolled in
marketplace plans. Kansas had more
than 200,000. Together, that is 617,000
people facing dramatically higher
costs or losing coverage entirely.
The Kansas Health Institute predicted
Kansas enrollment could immediately
return to 2021 levels and uninsured
rates could "greatly increase."
The picture sharpens when you examine
who gets hit hardest. Nearly half of all
adults under 65 enrolled in marketplace
plans are self-employed, small business
owners, or work for small businesses with
fewer than 25 employees, according to
KFF. These are women running their own
businesses, freelancers, gig workers,
people cobbling together part-time
jobs that never offer benefits. An
estimated 27% of farmers get
health insurance through
the marketplace. The
economy runs on their
labor while refusing to
ensure their health.
