More health insurance options in Kansas for next year

Kansas residents using the federal marketplace for individual health insurance will see more options for 2020, and some plans are less expensive than 2019.

KCUR reports that the downside for 2020 is that for the second year in a row, consumers must foot the full bill for most out-of-network care.

Two new insurers now offer health plans in some of Kansas' most populous counties. Meanwhile, Ambetter, which is already active in the Kansas City area, is expanding to 12 more counties in southeast and central Kansas.

Across Kansas, five insurers are offering 82 plans next year, the most since the marketplace launched in 2014. Availability varies by county, but it's a big increase from the three insurers offering 23 plans this year.

Enrollment began Friday and runs through Dec. 15.