2021 Minnesota health insurance rates continue to show stability for another year; expanded consumer choice across the state
ST. PAUL, Minn.—The Minnesota Department of Commerce announced final 2021 Minnesota health insurance rates today, which will remain stable across the state. For the 2021 plan year, 80 counties have three or more health insurance companies offering plans on the exchange, compared to just 31 counties with three or more in 2020. Ninety-seven percent of Minnesotans buying health insurance through MNsure will have an average of 30 different qualified health plans and three or more carriers to choose from.
Five health insurance companies are partnering with MNsure for the 2021 plan year: BluePlus, HealthPartners, Medica, UCare, and newly added Quartz, a Madison-based insurer offering plans in some southeastern Minnesota counties. Quartz will be offering 14 qualified health plans on the exchange. Additionally, dental plans will be available from Delta Dental and Dentegra.
With recent reports illustrating the growing number of uninsured Americans across the country, MNsure is reminding Minnesotans that there are options. For those who have lost their health insurance, seen a change in income, or experienced a qualifying life event, enrollment opportunities may be available.
"The last couple of months has brought tremendous uncertainty to many families across the state," said MNsure CEO Nate Clark. "It's important that Minnesotans know there are enrollment opportunities available if they lose their health insurance. MNsure is here to help."
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 100,000 Minnesotans have come through MNsure to find health insurance coverage.
For new customers, you may be eligible to enroll if:
ST. PAUL, Minn.—Searching for MNsure on the internet can yield misleading results. If you search for MNsure, you may see ads and websites that appear to be the official MNsure website but are not. Some of these sites collect your contact information and either bombard you with phone calls or try to sell you sub-standard health insurance. Here’s how to be sure you’re working with MNsure and purchasing comprehensive health care coverage:
Those eligible for the urgent need program must:
Check the website URL: make sure you’re clicking on MNsure.org when using a search engine or simply type MNsure.org into your address bar.
via MNsure...this is from a couple of weeks ago but it's still important for all Minnesota residents to know!
ST. PAUL, Minn.—The Minnesota Insulin Safety Net Program launched today, July 1, 2020, allowing Minnesotans in urgent need of insulin (less than a 7-day supply on hand) to access the lifesaving drug through their pharmacy. The program – implemented by MNsure, the state's health insurance marketplace, and the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy – was created to help Minnesotans facing difficulty affording their insulin.
The Insulin Safety Net Program is made up of two parts: 1) The urgent need program for eligible Minnesotans to receive a once-per-year 30-day supply of insulin immediately at their pharmacy for no more than a $35 copay; and 2) The continuing need program for eligible Minnesotans to receive up to a year supply of insulin for no more than $50 per 90-day refill.
Interested individuals should visit MNinsulin.org to see if they qualify and learn how to apply.
The good news out of Minnesota is that the Commerce Dept. has published the preliminary 2021 average rate changes for both the individual and small group markets in a simple table.
The bad news is that they haven't published any of the actual actuarial memos or templates which include the two other critical pieces of data I need to run my analysis: The current effectuated enrollee totals for each carrier, and what (if any) impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on the proposed rate changes.
via MNsure (this was actually posted a couple of weeks ago but I missed it):
ST. PAUL, Minn.—99,688 Minnesotans have come to MNsure.org and enrolled in private health insurance through a special enrollment period (SEP) or received eligibility for a public assistance program (Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare) since March 1. As expected, sign-ups across all programs have been driven by concerns amid the pandemic.
"It’s never been more important to know you’re covered. That’s why we are so glad to have been able to help almost 100,000 Minnesotans gain access to comprehensive health care coverage," said CEO Nate Clark. "But we know there are others out there who are currently uninsured and may qualify to sign up. If you’ve recently lost your employer-sponsored health insurance, had an income change, or have another qualifying life event, come to MNsure.org to see if you’re eligible."
MNsure offers enrollment opportunity for Minnesotans newly eligible for financial help due to decrease in income
MNsure is the only place to get financial help to lower the cost of health insurance
Starting May 11, 2020, MNsure is offering an ongoing special enrollment period for Minnesotans who experience a decrease in household income and become newly eligible for advanced premium tax credits (APTC). Those looking to enroll will need to have had health insurance that meets the standards in the Affordable Care Act, also known as minimum essential coverage (MEC), for one or more days in the 60 days immediately preceding their decrease in household income.
Minnesotans must act within 60 days after they experience a decrease in household income to be eligible.
Minnesota was an obvious choice, given that it was the closest swing state won by Donald Trump. Texas may seem like an unusual choice given that it's considered to be a solid red state and that it hasn't seen the type of ugly outbreak of COVID-19 (yet) that several other states have, but I happened to discover that unlike states like Florida and Georgia, Texas's Health Dept. dashboard makes it quite easy to download the historic case and fatality data I need to compile these charts, so I decided to go for it. The results in both states are interesting for different reasons.
MNsure releases Request for Proposal for the Minnesota Insulin Safety Net Program’s Public Awareness Campaign
Submissions accepted until May 26, 2020
ST. PAUL, Minn.—On April 15, 2020, Governor Walz signed the Alec Smith Insulin Affordability Act to provide relief to Minnesotans struggling to afford their insulin. MNsure, the state’s health insurance exchange, is responsible for a creating a public awareness campaign to promote the Insulin Safety Net Program. The public awareness campaign will inform Minnesotans in urgent need of insulin how to access the state’s safety net program, and highlight the availability of insulin manufacturers' patient assistance programs.
The request for proposal (RFP) seeks proposals from qualified firms or contractors capable of producing a statewide public awareness campaign to increase awareness of the Insulin Safety Net Program. The anticipated time frame of the campaign is July 2020 through June 2023.
More than 9,400 Minnesotans Enrolled in Private Health Insurance Coverage During MNsure's COVID-19 Emergency Special Enrollment Period
ST. PAUL, Minn.—Last month, Governor Walz announced a 30-day emergency special enrollment period (SEP) for individuals who were uninsured in the wake of COVID-19. During that time, 9,482 Minnesotans enrolled in private health insurance plans through MNsure. The SEP ran from March 23 through April 21. Additionally, more than 13,700 applied for public health insurance programs during that time period.
Every Minnesotan deserves access to the health care they need—especially during the unprecedented time of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Governor Tim Walz. “I am happy that we were able to offer the special enrollment period so more than 23,000 uninsured Minnesotans were able to enroll in health coverage. Minnesotans without coverage should keep coming to MNsure to see if they are eligible for other special enrollments or publicly funded health care programs with year-round enrollment like Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare.”
