Health coverage hits harder in Kansas than in Missouri
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Employer health coverage eats up nearly one-tenth of a typical family's income in both Kansas and Missouri, with Kansas households facing a slightly heavier burden, a new Commonwealth Fund study shows.
The big picture: Kansas City spans two states where identical employer coverage can carry different financial burdens depending on state income levels.
Zoom in: The study considers 5% or more of income spent on single-plan deductibles a marker of underinsurance risk because it can force families to weigh routine care against other household bills.
- In Kansas, single-plan deductibles average 5.5% of median individual income. In Missouri, they average 5.4%.
- For total family costs, premium contributions plus deductibles, Kansas families devote 9.9% of median income, while Missouri families devote 9.6%.
Zoom out: Nationally, single coverage deductibles ranged from 1.8% of median individual income in Washington, D.C., to 6.4% in Kentucky.
- For total family costs, 19 states exceeded 10% of median household income. The highest burden reached 15.6% in Louisiana.
State of play: Deductibles alone can push families to delay care even when they have insurance, according to the Commonwealth Fund, and both Kansas and Missouri land in the higher-cost half of states.
What's next: Missouri regulators approved higher 2026 Affordable Care Act marketplace premiums, including double-digit increases for many plans, with at least one exceeding 30%.
- If Congress allows enhanced federal subsidies to expire, some consumers could see their out-of-pocket costs for coverage increase by 70% or more.