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Minnesota Health Insurance

The Affordable Care Act has changed the way many Minnesota residents get their health insurance. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation report, Gov. Mark Dayton signed legislation to create Minnesota’s state health insurance marketplace in March 2013.

The Minnesota health insurance marketplace is named MNsure, and you can find it at MNnsure.org. Additionally, Minnesota is one of 27 states including Washington, D.C., that chose to expand Medicaid coverage in 2014.

In order to learn more about your new options, simply visit MNsure.org, set up an account and apply for coverage during open enrollment. After you finish the process, you can research marketplace health insurance plans and determine if you qualify for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, called CHIP.

You can apply for coverage online, but you will need to contact the insurer to make payment arrangements.

Do you qualify for a Minnesota health insurance subsidy?

According to a January 2014 Kaiser Family Foundation state profile, about 67 percent of the previously uninsured people in Minnesota will be eligible for some type of financial assistance to help pay for coverage under Obamacare.

Many residents in the remaining third might earn too much to qualify for assistance, but they may choose a marketplace plan anyway. Qualified plans must provide comprehensive benefits, and insurers cannot discriminate against people based on pre-existing health conditions.

These are some ways Minnesota residents can get help paying for health insurance.

Eligibility for subsidies will typically be based on 2013 poverty level limits, and Medicare and CHIP qualification will typically be based on 2014 limits.
People who earn between 100 and 400 percent of the federal poverty level — $11,490 and $45,960 for an individual and between $23,550 and $94,200 for a family of four — generally qualify for tax credits.
Because of Medicaid expansion, adults who earn less than 205 percent of the poverty level — about $48,890 for a family of four — might qualify for Medicaid.
Children from Minnesota families earning less than 288 percent of the poverty level, or $68,690 or a family of four, may qualify for coverage under CHIP.

Minnesota health insurance companies

These insurers offer qualified marketplace plans for Minnesota residents. Some plans may not be available to residents of all counties in the state.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota
Health Partners
Medica
PreferredOne
UCare

Minnesota health and coverage statistics

Minnesota population (2013): 5,420,380
Population 65 and older (2012): 13.6 percent
Life expectancy (2010): 81.1 years
Number of Medicaid beneficiaries (2012): 738,400
Number of Medicare beneficiaries (2012): 723,500
Estimated number of uninsured residents (2012): 465,200

Overall state health ranking (2014): 3

Sources: Kaiser Family Foundation, U.S. Census Bureau, America’s Health Rankings 2014 report.