Dear neighbors,
Fall is in full swing and the trees are sharing their beautiful colors already! But all is not well in the world. I’m sure you all share my disappointment with Congress and the shutdown of the federal government. Minnesota has been down that path and no good came of it – in fact there was plenty of pain for the many dedicated state workers and now our country’s federal employees face similar stress and impact. The good news at the state level is that this past session we made the important and tough decisions needed to move Minnesota full steam ahead and our economy is back on track!
Last week, Minnesota Management and Budget announced that our schools were repaid an additional $636 million at the end of the 2013 fiscal year. Minnesota has now repaid nearly $2.6 billion of the $2.8 billion previously borrowed from schools under the budget passed after the 2011 state government shutdown. This is good news not only for our schools but for our economy.
Minnesota added 12,200 jobs in August, pushing total jobs in the state over the pre-recession peak that was reached in February 2008, and Minnesota was recently ranked eighth in the “Forbes 2013 List of the Best States for Business” rankings. Of course other ratings paint different pictures, but Moody’s recognized our honest budgeting as a positive move and our ranking demonstrates that.
I would also like to remind you of my upcoming “Second Saturday” constituent coffee meeting on October 12 from 8:30-9:30 a.m. at Dunn Brothers (120 Elton Hills Drive NW) in Rochester. I will have to leave right at 9:30 in order to participate in the “Making Strides” walk for breast cancer which starts immediately following.
If you have questions, comments or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you again for the honor of serving you in the legislature.
Kim Norton
State Representative
---Updates from the Capitol------
MNsure
The MNsure health insurance website is now online and enrollment in the insurance exchange began October 1. Families and individuals that are currently covered under a group or state health insurance plan do not need to use MNSure. However, if you are uninsured, underinsured or covered under an expensive private plan, MNSure may be the place for you to purchase an affordable, high quality policy and to qualify for a federal subsidy to offset your premium costs. It might be worth a look! If you are already comfortably insured, no changes are needed.
The MNSure rates recently released revealed that Minnesota’s are the lowest in the nation compared to states offering similar products. Because of the federal subsidy that is based on your ability to pay, MNSure will mean paying less for many middle class enrollees. On average there will be an estimated net savings of $500 per person. To see if you qualify for the subsidy, visit this link: http://www.mnsure.org/individual-family/family-individual-cost-overview.jsp.
Other changes related to the Affordable Care Act allow children to stay on their parent’s policy until age 26 and no longer allow insurers to deny clients based on preexisting conditions.
MNsure coverage begins January 1, 2014. If you’re planning to use MNSure, you can enroll anytime by December 15 to be insured on January 1.
One caveat to all the good news was the revelation that Southeastern Minnesota has less choice and higher premium costs than the rest of the state. This isn’t “new news” really, but the transparency inherent in the ACA has allowed us to see this for the first time. I will work (and already am!) on solutions to this that might include more insurers participating in SE MN, lower premiums and deductibles and/or more networks in the years to come.
For more information, visit MNSure’s website at http://www.mnsure.org.
Lifeline
I recently received information from the Public Utilities Commission about discounted basic residential telephone and cellular service for low-income consumers, a.k.a. ‘Lifeline.’ This service makes it more affordable with discounts of either $9.25 per month on traditional phone plans or an allotment of 250 free anytime minutes on participating pre-paid cellular plans. For landline customers in Minnesota, an additional discount of $3.50 per month is provided through the State’s Telephone Assistance Program.
Apply for both state and federal telephone discounts on one application:
LIFELINE: A federal program that provides a discount on your monthly bill or 250 free minutes on a participating pre-paid cellular phone.
TELEPHONE ASSISTANCE PLAN (TAP): A state program that provides a discount on your monthly landline telephone bill.
To qualify for discounts, telephone service must be in your name AND you must participate in one or more qualifying assistance programs OR have income at or below 135% of the federal poverty guidelines.
1. Qualifying assistance programs include: Medicaid/Medical Assistance, SSI, Energy Assistance, MFIP, Food Support and many others
2. Qualifying income at or below 135% of the federal poverty guidelines: family of 2 =$20,939; family of 4 = $31,793
For an application or more information:
• Contact your local or cellular phone company
• Visit www.puc.state.mn.us or www.lifeline.gov
• Call the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission at 651-296-0406 or 1-800-657-3782
• E-mail consumer.puc@state.mn.us
Utility Scam Alert
The FTC is warning of a utility bill scam that asks for payment via GreenDot, Paypal or Prepaid Gift Card. Imagine receiving a phone call from your utility company saying they’re about to cut off your electricity. The caller ID looks like it might be a legitimate phone number, but you know you’ve paid your bill. The caller says, “I can stop this, but only if you pay me.” It’s a scam, but there’s a new twist. Instead of asking you to wire money, a new scam wants you to use GreenDot, buy a prepaid gift card, or use PayPal. Scammers using reloadable debit cards, gift cards, or PayPal is not new, but it’s growing. It lets them get your money in a way that you’ll never get it back.
Scammers can use computers to make it look like they’re calling from one place – when, in fact, they’re someplace else. If you get a call, email, text, or even a visit from someone telling you to make a payment via PayPal, or to buy a GreenDot card or a gift card, it’s probably a scam. Call your utility company on the phone number that appears on your bill, describe what happened, and report the scammers to the Federal Trade Commission, online or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP.
The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics.
Winter Energy Assistance
Three Rivers Community Action has notified us that they offer energy assistance based on household income and household size. If you, or someone you know qualifies based on the guidelines below, please call (800-277-8418 or 507-732-8554. Information is also available on their website 222.threeriverscap.org.
Household Size Household Income
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$5,673 (1891/mos)
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$7,419 (2473/mos)
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$9,164 (3055/mos)
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$10,910 (3,637/mos)
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$12,656 (4,219/mos)
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$14,401 (4801/mos)
You should also know that a volunteer group of local plumbers/pipefitters from a number of businesses provided free furnace cleaning and winterization for needy area residence during their annual “Heats On” effort! What a great gift to many in our community – thanks to all the volunteers and for Three Rivers Community Action for organizing it!