Rating area 5 covers 21 counties in southwest Kansas, including Garden City, Dodge City and Liberal. Feedlots, beef processing, grain handling and the businesses that serve them make up much of the employer base, with plenty of small offices, clinics and shops in between.
Three carriers filed small group factors here for 2026: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, UnitedHealthcare and Medical Associates Health Plan, a new entrant whose HMO and POS plans are filed only for this area and south central Kansas.
Counties in rating area 5
Barber, Clark, Comanche, Edwards, Finney, Ford, Grant, Gray, Hamilton, Haskell, Hodgeman, Kearny, Kiowa, Meade, Morton, Pawnee, Pratt, Seward, Stafford, Stanton and Stevens. Larger towns include Garden City, Dodge City, Liberal, Pratt, Ulysses and Larned.
Carriers and filed factors in area 5
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 5 factor | Rank in its Kansas areas | Plan types | Filed change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas | 1.023 | 6 of 7, low to high | EPO, PPO | +8.37% |
| Medical Associates Health Plan | 1.000 | Lowest of 2 | HMO, POS | New plans |
| UnitedHealthcare | 0.891 | 2 of 7, low to high | EPO, POS | +9.97% |
What employers in Southwest Kansas should check
- Whether a new HMO option fits your team, or whether employees need a wider network.
- Shift and seasonal schedules, and which employees count as full time.
- Care that employees travel for, including trips to Wichita or Amarillo.
We check each of these when we quote a group in area 5, 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 2: Northeast Kansas (17 counties)
- Area 3: North central Kansas (14 counties)
- Area 4: Northwest Kansas (25 counties)
- Area 6: South central Kansas (17 counties)
- Area 7: Southeast Kansas (7 counties)
