WATCH: Davids Helps Lower Health Care Costs During Current Open Enrollment Period

During the current open enrollment period, Kansans can take advantage of health care savings that Representative Sharice Davids voted to support in recent years. Thanks to those efforts, the number of uninsured Americans has reached an all-time low and Kansans can save an average of $780 in premiums this year. Open enrollment runs until December 15 for coverage starting January 1, and Kansans can sign up for a new plan or adjust or cancel a current plan.

“The burden of high health insurance costs has persisted for far too long, forcing hardworking Kansans to make difficult choices between necessary health care and other essential needs. To fix that, I’ve voted for legislation that is actively lowering these health costs, saving some Kansans an average of $780 this year,” said Davids. “I encourage anyone seeking new health insurance or exploring potentially more affordable options to visit HealthCare.gov during this open enrollment period."

WATCH: KSHB reports on Davids’ efforts to lower health care costs

Image

Davids voted for the Inflation Reduction Act (2022) and the American Rescue Plan (2021), federal laws that are helping save Kansans thousands of dollars on their health plans. Specifically:

• Kansas’ Third District
  • In 2023, an estimated 35,000 people in the district enrolled in Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace health insurance coverage.
    • Thanks to this federal legislation, the average enrollee in the district will save $780 in premiums this year.
• Nationally
  • Thanks to this federal legislation, nearly 6 million new people enrolled in marketplace coverage during 2021 and 2022, with 80 percent of these enrollees having access to a plan for $120 or less per year.
  • Because of the lower health costs, the number of uninsured Americans reached an all-time low of 8 percent in 2022 and the total number of ACA marketplace enrollees reached a record high of 16.4 million in 2023.

The Inflation Reduction Act and American Rescue Plan are helping Americans purchase affordable health insurance coverage on the ACA marketplaces. The American Rescue Plan first ensured that no one will pay more than 8.5 percent of their household income to purchase health insurance coverage. The Inflation Reduction Act then continued these savings through 2025, preventing millions of marketplace enrollees from facing steep increases in their premium payments.

Thanks to this federal legislation:

• A 60-year-old couple with a household income of $80,000 would save $17,041 in premiums for health insurance coverage per year.
• A family with a 35-year-old single parent with one child and a household income of $30,000 would save $1,272 in premiums for health insurance coverage per year.
• A family with two 40-year-old adults, two children, and a household income of $75,000 would save $3,096 in premiums for health insurance coverage per year.

Open enrollment is a period that occurs once a year when Americans can sign up for federal health insurance, adjust their current plan, or cancel a plan. For coverage starting January 1, individuals must sign up by December 15. If this deadline is missed, individuals can sign up by January 15 for coverage starting February 1. After January 15, individuals can enroll in or change plans only if they qualify for a Special Enrollment Period. Kansans can visit HealthCare.gov to find more information on health plans that make sense for them and their families.

Davids is a fierce advocate for making health care more affordable and accessible to all Kansans. She supported legislation to protect patients from out-of-network surprise medical bills, which has shielded patients from millions of surprise bills since passage. This law included Davids’ original legislation to improve insurer transparency, helping patients avoid unintentional out-of-network health care visits. Last year, Davids also voted to give Medicare the power to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices, cap insulin costs for Kansans on Medicare at $35 a month, and cap Medicare beneficiaries’ out-of-pocket drug costs at $2,000 per year.