Cox HealthPlans won't offer ACA coverage in Greene, Webster counties next year

Cox HealthPlans has made a decision to limit its Affordable Care Act marketplace coverage in 2026.

Officials with the insurance provider affiliate of CoxHealth said in a statement provided to Springfield Business Journal that coverage would be unavailable in Greene and Webster counties next year. Marketplace coverage will continue in Barry, Christian, Lawrence, Stone and Taney counties.

The statement cited a "current analysis" of plans and pricing published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and "the uncertainty of the marketplace."

"This challenging situation is not unique to Cox HealthPlans," the statement reads. "Across the nation, insurance providers are assessing their offered plans in light of rising costs and volatility in the market."

Cox HealthPlans intends to reevaluate the situation in 2027. Impacted patients are encouraged to work with insurance brokers to explore marketplace options in 2026.

The national KFF health care information nonprofit reports that ACA insurers are raising premiums by roughly 26%, as enhanced health insurance tax credits from the pandemic era are set to expire at the end of this year. KFF estimated Oct. 28 that if the tax credits expire, currently subsidized insurance enrollees will see monthly premiums more than double. 

Meanwhile, data posted online by the Missouri Department of Insurance through Oct. 31 shows Cox HealthPlans premium rates will increase roughly 30% on average for insurance plans on and off the ACA exchange next year. The 2026 average premium per member per month is estimated at $841.07, up from $663.36 for 2025. 

The Department of Insurance also reports on its website that in Greene County, plans for 2026 are being sold by Ambetter Health, Ambetter from Home State Health Plan, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Medica and United Healthcare. The companies reported to the insurance department that they were selling these health insurance plans both on and off of the ACA exchange, except for Ambetter Health, which is selling plans off the exchange only. 

Deputy Editor Gregory Holman contributed to this article.