This week, I will be joining many of my colleagues in the Minnesota Legislature to ask the blunt but necessary question: what the heck is going on at Minnesota’s Obamacare exchange, MNsure?
MNsure was rushed through the legislative approval process last spring after Governor Dayton decided it would be one of his top priorities to fully implement the Affordable Care Act in Minnesota. A July news report from MPR stated it best: “No state is set to embrace the Affordable Care Act as thoroughly as Minnesota.”
Minnesota’s hardworking taxpayers are footing a hefty bill just for the construction and administration of MNsure – at least $150 million and possibly over $300 million over the next two years. MNsure’s leadership has been disappointing to say the least. Their executive director was in the news recently for her choice to leave the state on a tropical vacation while thousands received notices that they may lose health coverage beginning January 1 and thousands more tried unsuccessfully to access enrollment on MNsure.
Security glitches, poor customer service, agonizing wait times and human error have all been commonplace at this new super-agency based in St. Paul. Governor Dayton is responsible for overseeing this agency’s progress towards covering uninsured Minnesotans, but has largely washed his hands of that obligation. Instead, he has called for other boards and oversight panels to do more to take control of the situation at MNsure.
Many individuals are facing problems with payments at MNsure. Several Scott County applicants may have already been billed for a new plan starting Jan. 1, but have not received any documentation regarding the plan. MNsure has started charging applicants but hasn’t fully delivered details or acceptance notices. For others, you may see premiums increase on January 1, higher deductibles, or both. I wish I had better news for the families in our area that will be negatively impacted this holiday season.
Reports so far on success of the exchange, open since October 1, have been disheartening. In the first two months, MNsure reported enrollment in progress for around 5,000 private plan applicants, far short of their goal for the period. Meanwhile, 280,000 Minnesotans may have their plans changed dramatically because of Obamacare or will lose their coverage entirely. Obamacare and Minnesota Democrats have hurt far more individuals than they have helped with MNsure thus far.
MNsure’s poor planning and implementation has been made worse by the lack of public oversight during much of the process. A legislative oversight committee intended to monitor the activities of MNsure on behalf of the people has not met in nearly three months. The unpredictable costs of Obamacare on Minnesota’s economy could also negatively affect the state’s budget over the next few months. When families and businesses have to dedicate resources to complying with burdensome regulations like Obamacare, they have less money to spend growing our economy.
Please know that I will do everything I can to correct some of the mistakes put into law by my legislative colleagues in the DFL when we return to session on Feb. 25. Until then, please contact me with any questions you may have.