Dear Friends,
This week, the non-partisan Legislative Auditor released a report about MNsure's troubled rollout in 2013. The report concluded that "In its first year of operations, MNsure's failures outweighed its achievements." You can read the full report by clicking here.
The report detailed a number of organizational management problems, including the fact that MNsure staff withheld information prior to the launch from key officials, including the Governor. That resulted in the site going live on October 1st when it clearly wasn't ready for the public to use. The website had not been properly tested, and was not equipped to handle large amounts of traffic.
Minnesotans struggled for months with a broken website and had to endure long wait times for the MNsure call center.
On the financial side, MNsure enrolled larger percentage of people on to taxpayer-funded public programs than expected, and private enrollment lagged, failing to meet expectations.
Private enrollments are what help fund the exchange's operations so it's important that private enrollment meet expectations to make sure taxpayers don't have to pay more to fund MNsure's operations.
The report makes it clear that there's still room for improvement, and that further changes are needed. That's why I've authored legislation to increase accountability for MNsure, and ensure more access to good health plans for Minnesota families. Other legislators have also put forward their ideas on how to change MNsure as well.
In the coming weeks, we will continue to examine ways to make sure that MNsure is delivering on the promises made by those who created it. I will keep you updated on those proposals as session continues.
Have a great weekend,
Tara Mack
State Representative, District 57A