Dear neighbors,
I wanted to give you a brief update on the status of Minnesota’s health insurance exchange, known as MNsure, and some information to help those who are experiencing challenges enrolling through the exchange.
As you may know, MNsure was launched in October with the lowest premium rates in the country and excellent insurance plans that could not deny coverage to Minnesotans with pre-existing conditions, did not have lifetime limits, included out-of-pocket spending caps and preventive care.
Unfortunately, it became clear that there were significant technical problems with the website and IT systems, leading to long wait times at the call center. While the majority of Minnesotans seeking to enroll are now able to do so, these problems are unacceptable and I’ve joined my colleagues in demanding swift action from MNsure and the contractors responsible.
And I can report there has been progress. Over the last several weeks, MNsure has taken — and continues to take — concrete steps to identify and address the technical and call center issues. Now, the percent of customers able to get through the eligibility determination process has improved from 70 percent to 98 percent. The call center wait times have also improved.
While we continue to make progress, if you or someone you know is still experiencing problems with enrollment through MNsure, please contact me and my office will work with you to solve the problem. You can reach me at 651-296-4331, or rep.carolyn.laine@house.mn. We will keep working to ensure that Minnesotans who need affordable coverage can obtain it as soon as possible.
To date, nearly 100,000 Minnesotans have completed an application for health insurance through MNsure, many of them for the first time in their lives, and at the lowest rates in the nation. One enrollee is a brain cancer survivor who was being forced to choose between paying her family's mortgage or buying health insurance – until she enrolled in MNsure. Another is a small business owner who is saving $3,000 per year compared to what she was paying before she went on MNsure.
There are many more stories like theirs, and that’s why we cannot go back to the days where the insurance companies called the shots and Minnesotans paid the price. We need to work together to address the remaining issues, because we believe that all Minnesotans should have access to high-quality insurance at an affordable price.
We are making progress towards that goal, but more work remains to be done.
Thank you for the honor of representing you in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
Sincerely,
Carolyn