Demand for Obamacare coverage in Kansas appears strong ahead of Friday's sign-up deadline. Despite that, enrollment through the health insurance marketplace is expected to drop.
Debbie Bernsden manages a statewide network of specialists helping Kansans sign up for Obamacare plans. She says her staff is busier than they were at this time last year.
“Last week when I looked at it, we were up about 30 percent in terms of our appointments," Bernsden says.
One reason for the crunch could be the shorter sign-up period, which the Trump administration cut by half this year.
That’s expected to significantly reduce overall enrollment in Kansas. Heading into the final day, it’s only about half of last year’s total of nearly 100,000.
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Jim McLean is managing director of KMUW's Kansas News Service, a collaboration of KMUW, Kansas Public Radio and KCUR covering health, education and politics in Kansas. Follow him on Twitter @jmcleanks.
