To the editor:

Regarding the 2017 Individual Health Insurance Market: For the past two years, I’ve gotten health insurance through the exchange available to Kansas residents, but next year I can’t because none of my specialist doctors at the KU Medical Center are in any provider network for Kansas residents outside the KC metro area, and, in fact, for some specialties there are no providers in the networks at all.

That seems to be how insurers are keeping costs down, making sure people with need of specialty care can’t use their plans. BCBS, the largest exchange provider, is offering only HMO coverage, which means subscribers will not have the option of going to any doctors or facilities in the KC metro area as nonparticipating providers at a higher out-of-pocket deductible; visits will simply not be covered at all. KC metro Kansas residents are in their own separate provider network.

Considering that KU is the only medical school in the state, it seems outrageous that people signing up for health insurance in the state of Kansas using the exchange won’t have access to the first-class level of care at this premier state facility. I did find, though, thankfully, that all my doctors are in the BCBS network off the exchange, at 20 percent more than my current out-of-pocket costs (comparable to increases on the exchange). But since this is not an exchange-offered plan, no subsidies are offered. Still, I am grateful for the coverage that would not have been possible without the Affordable Care Act.