Rating area 7 covers seven counties in the southeast corner of the state: Crawford, Cherokee, Labette, Neosho, Allen, Bourbon and Woodson. Pittsburg, Parsons, Chanute, Fort Scott and Iola anchor a region of manufacturers, school districts, health systems and family businesses near the Missouri and Oklahoma lines.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas and UnitedHealthcare filed small group factors here for 2026. Employees near the state lines often get care in Joplin, Missouri or northeast Oklahoma, so network reach across the border is worth checking.
Counties in rating area 7
Allen, Bourbon, Cherokee, Crawford, Labette, Neosho and Woodson. Larger towns include Pittsburg, Parsons, Chanute, Fort Scott, Iola and Baxter Springs.
Carriers and filed factors in area 7
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 7 factor | Rank in its Kansas areas | Plan types | Filed change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas | 0.935 | Lowest of 7 | EPO, PPO | +8.37% |
| UnitedHealthcare | 0.891 | 2 of 7, low to high | EPO, POS | +9.97% |
What employers in Southeast Kansas should check
- Out-of-state providers employees already use, especially around Joplin.
- Participation minimums for small groups in small towns.
- Whether a level funded plan makes sense for a steady, long-tenured team.
We check each of these when we quote a group in area 7, 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 5: Southwest Kansas (21 counties)
- Area 6: South central Kansas (17 counties)
