Rating area 2 wraps around the Kansas City metro to the west and south: 17 counties running from the Nebraska line down through Topeka, Lawrence and Emporia to Linn County on the Missouri border. It takes in the state capital, two state universities and a long list of small manufacturers, school districts and county seats.
Two carriers filed small group factors here for 2026: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, which is headquartered in Topeka, and UnitedHealthcare. With only two carriers in the area, plan design and network fit matter more than the carrier logo.
Counties in rating area 2
Anderson, Atchison, Brown, Coffey, Doniphan, Douglas, Franklin, Jackson, Jefferson, Linn, Lyon, Marshall, Nemaha, Osage, Pottawatomie, Shawnee and Wabaunsee. Larger towns include Topeka, Lawrence, Emporia, Atchison, Ottawa and Wamego.
We publish city pages for Topeka and Lawrence.
Carriers and filed factors in area 2
Each carrier files a geographic factor for every Kansas area it serves. Below 1.000 means this area prices under that carrier's own statewide base, above 1.000 means over it. Compare a factor with the same carrier's other areas, not with another carrier.
| Carrier | Area 2 factor | Rank in its Kansas areas | Plan types | Filed change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas | 1.014 | 5 of 7, low to high | EPO, PPO | +8.37% |
| UnitedHealthcare | 0.948 | Highest of 7 | EPO, POS | +9.97% |
What employers in Northeast Kansas should check
- Whether staff commute into area 1, which is common from Lawrence, Ottawa and Eudora toward the metro.
- Network reach in the smaller county seats, not only in Topeka and Lawrence.
- How a two-carrier market changes the renewal conversation. A re-shop compares plan designs as much as carriers.
We check each of these when we quote a group in area 2, then lay the carriers out side by side. It costs your business nothing. Request a free quote or see the Kansas rate tracker for what carriers asked for next year.
The other Kansas rating areas
- Area 1: Kansas City metro (4 counties)
- Area 3: North central Kansas (14 counties)
- Area 4: Northwest Kansas (25 counties)
- Area 5: Southwest Kansas (21 counties)
- Area 6: South central Kansas (17 counties)
- Area 7: Southeast Kansas (7 counties)
