Friends,
It has been a productive first month with several key bills being passed and signed into law by Governor Dayton. This week saw a couple new and interesting developments in the health insurance market, especially effecting our area, and the opening of several free tax preparation sites across the state. Have a great and safe weekend!
Health Insurance Developments
Since the
passage of SF1, the bipartisan premium relief bill, there has been a number of developments that you should know about.
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There will be a one week enrollment extension. The special enrollment period will take place from February 1-8.
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Medica will accept new enrollments. On Tuesday, it was announced that Medica ended up below their enrollment cap and will be able to accept new enrollees through February 8th. Medica policies are only available through MNsure this year.
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APTC vs. 25% Rebate: SF 1 excludes people who receive federal advanced premium tax credits (APTC) from also receiving the 25% state premium rebate. If a person receives no APTC, they will automatically receive the 25% state rebate.
Some people between 300-400% of Federal Poverty Guidelines qualify for an APTC, but either receive very little or nothing because of Obamacare's APTC calculation. This means an individual making $36,180-$48,240 may receive a substantially better benefit with the state rebate.
If you have already enrolled in a plan and receives an APTC that provides less benefit than what you would receive from the 25% rebate, you may cancel that policy and re-enroll without an APTC in order to benefit from the state rebate. This must be done by February 8.
Medica jumping back into the market is very important for our area as it gives another option for coverage in the individual market for 2017. You can read my statement on this development
here.
Free Tax Preparation Sites now Open
The Minnesota Department of Revenue
announced that sites across the state are offering free tax assistance during tax season this year. There are two programs that are offering these services the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and the AARP Tax-Aide program. Both programs have volunteers who are certified by the IRS to prepare basic tax returns in Minnesota.
The AARP Tax-Aide sites offer free tax preparation for all over the age of 50 without any income restrictions. The VITA program is available for those over the age of 60, for those with a disability, for those who speak limited or no English, or if your annual income is less than $54,000.
You can find the site nearest you here or call 651-297-3724. The list of items that you will need to bring when visiting a free tax prep site is available here.
Pro Life Measures
As you know, I am committed to protecting all life and believe it is our duty to protect those most vulnerable. I have co-authored a number of bills aimed at making sure we do just that. One will make sure the state of Minnesota is not sending taxpayer money to fund abortions while another will make abortion clinics subject to state inspections for safety. I will keep you up to date on the progress we make defending life this session.
Have a great weekend,
Matt