Family of Missouri child receiving cancer treatment told their local hospital will stop accepting ACA Marketplace plans starting Jan. 1

Jackson, her husband, and their children have been on ACA plans for years, but the family found out in October from their insurance broker that Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, will no longer accept her ACA plan starting in January.

Why the hospital is going out of network

In an Oct. 20 post on Instagram, Children’s Mercy Hospital said it was not its decision to stop accepting ACA plans.

“Children’s Mercy wants to participate in ACA Marketplace networks serving our area,” the post reads. “However, the health plans have chosen not to include Children’s Mercy as an in-network provider. This was not a decision made by Children’s Mercy.”

In a statement to KCTV5, the insurance company Medica said it made the decision to leave the state of Kansas and Kansas City, though the exact reason for the departure is unclear. Children’s Mercy Hospital says it is continuing to speak with plans to be included in coverage networks.

Claims data shared with KCTV5 showed 274 children received care in 2026 at Children’s Mercy Hospital under the plan that is being discontinued. Medica says most of those claims were routine, one-time services. However, the hospital says approximately 400 current patients are covered by the Medica ACA Plan.

What families are weighing

Fortunately, Jackson said her family can afford to pay out of pocket. However, that isn’t the case for most families.

According to a June survey by West Health-Gallup, fewer than half of Americans said they can afford healthcare when and where it’s needed. More Americans are also struggling with the surging cost of insurance, with ACA marketplace insurers proposing a potential 15% increase in 2027, according to KFF.

Jami Woods, whose 14-year-old daughter has a hip operation planned for May 2027, told USA Today she believes it would cost her family about $200,000 without coverage. She’s thinking of returning to school to qualify for insurance. Her husband, Colin, said he doesn’t want to weigh leaving the hospital “to save $50,000” while his daughter is in pain.