Ken Selzer, CPA, Kansas Commissioner of Insurance, is reminding Kansans that the deadline to sign up for individual health insurance plans for 2019 is December 15. The federal government established the time period, the Commissioner said, and it applies toAffordable Care Act (ACA)-compliant plans sold on and off the federal online marketplace,www.healthcare.gov.

“When applying for coverage on the marketplace Kansans should be aware that subsidies are available based on income,” Commissioner Selzer said, “to offset the cost of coverage. Subsidies are not available if coverage is purchased off the marketplace.” “Also, it is important to understand how the policy you purchase works from a network perspective,” said Commissioner Selzer. “Not all plan s are available in all Kansas counties. Talk to your doctors, other providers or your insurance company to find out if specific medical providers are part of the insurance health plan network you choose.”

For more information, read the Department’s “2019: Overview of the Health Insurance Market in Kansas,” which is located on the department’s website at

https://www.ksinsurance.org/documents/healthlife/health/KID-Issue-Brief.pdf