Dear neighbors,
Today, Minnesota took an important step forward towards expanding access to affordable health care for individuals, families, and small businesses.
MNsure, our state’s new online marketplace where Minnesotans can compare private insurance policies, pick the plan that’s best for them, and receive financial help to buy it if they qualify, went live today as scheduled.
You can visit www.mnsure.org or dial the toll-free Contact Center line at 1-855-366-7873 to get started.
It’s been widely reported that MNsure offers the lowest costs of any health insurance exchange in the entire country. And that’s before you factor in the financial assistance available to eligible Minnesotans.
Not only does health care reform make coverage more affordable, but it also protects Minnesotans from insurance industry abuses. For example, insurance companies can no longer deny coverage to Minnesotans with pre-existing conditions and they cannot place caps on care received in a year or a lifetime.
MNsure means more affordable, more secure health care for every Minnesotan. It also means we will begin reducing unacceptable health inequities among communities of color.
For example, African Americans suffer from obesity, heart disease, and diabetes at higher levels than the general population. In 2010, 37 percent of African Americans were obese, compared to 26 percent of whites. Expanding access to affordable health care and preventative services can improve health outcomes for African Americans – and it’s all made possible by the Affordable Care Act.
As we enter this new era of health care in America, it’s important to remember where we were just a few short years ago.
Before the Affordable Care Act, America was in a health care crisis. Over 40 million Americans lacked health insurance and millions more were underinsured. Insurance companies cancelled Americans’ care when they got sick – even children. It’s a big reason why two thirds of all bankruptcies were caused by medical debt. All this was happening while insurance companies raked in record profits. In fact, the nation’s five largest for-profit insurers earned a combined profit of $12.2 billion in 2009.
Now, thanks to a democratically-elected Congress, President Obama, and the millions of Americans who organized for more secure, affordable, and equitable care, we’re one step closer to ensuring that access to health care is a fundamental right for all.
If you have any questions about MNsure, please feel free to contact me by phone at (651) 296-8659, by email at rep.raymond.dehn@house.mn, or by postal mail at 423 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155.
Sincerely,
Raymond Dehn
State Representative, District 59B