Today is the day that Minnesota’s new health insurance marketplace – MNsure – officially opens for business.
And this truly is a great day for Minnesota.
With a system as innovative as MNsure, it is inevitable that there will be a few bumps as this new marketplace rolls out. But let’s not lose sight of all the amazing improvements to Minnesota’s health insurance landscape that come along with its launch.
Minnesotans looking for health insurance through MNsure will find the lowest average premiums in the nation. And many Minnesotans will find out that they qualify for additional assistance to bring those costs down even further:
- An estimated 250,000 Minnesotans will qualify for federal premium tax credits to bring down the cost of private health insurance through MNsure.
- More than 100,000 additional low-income Minnesotans will become eligible for Medical Assistance, which will have a dramatically simplified application process.
- And nearly 130,000 more low- and moderate-income Minnesotans will become eligible for MinnesotaCare, which will have better benefits and lower premiums than it does now.
We also know that health insurance will be better, thanks to new consumer protections that have already started, or will take effect by January 1, 2014 – like free preventive care, no more annual or life-time limits on benefits, and no more exclusions for pre-existing conditions or using health history when determining premiums.
But so many significant changes happening at one time can be a little overwhelming. We have two tools to help you navigate this new landscape:
- MNsure: A New World of Opportunities for Affordable Health Insurance Starting in 2014 outlines the affordable health insurance options that will be available to Minnesotans, including Medical Assistance (or Medicaid), MinnesotaCare, and federal tax credits and cost-sharing assistance.
- FAQ: Health Care Reform and Minnesota’s Nonprofit Employers is a joint release with the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits that reviews commonly asked questions about the options and opportunities for nonprofit employers as major provisions of the ACA begin to take effect on October 1.
Change is never easy, but change that helps more Minnesotans get better health insurance is worth the effort.
-Christina Wessel