Costs for Kansas insurance plans remain stable

A new report shows that Kansas consumers seeking health insurance on the federally-run online marketplace will pay about the same next year as they did in 2014.

The Kansas Health Institute, a nonpartisan health policy and research organization, released a report Saturday as the second sign up period got underway. It showed that the average premium for plans offered in the marketplace changed very little – an increase of just 0.1 percent from 2014 to 2015.

The number of Kansas plans for individuals and small groups on the federal exchange was growing from 72 in 2014 to 82 in 2015.

Four insurers from last year are again offering coverage. And a KHI analyst says the entrance of a fifth provider offering low rates was helping to keep average premiums stable.