ST. PAUL – The Minnesota House of Representatives has approved comprehensive health and human services legislation that would end MNsure. State Representative Tim Miller (R-Prinsburg) voted in favor of the measure.
“MNsure has been a costly debacle,” Miller said. “It is the crowning achievement of one-party rule in Minnesota and it has contributed to rising health insurance costs.”
Since MNsure’s implementation, health insurance premium costs have skyrocketed, while hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans were forced from their preferred health plans, placed on unwanted health insurance plans, or blocked from enrollment.
Miller noted that Minnesota has wasted more than $300 million on the program since its inception. Although the initial target was for 450,000 private enrollees through MNsure by the end of 2016, because of its failings, only 70,000 actually have enrolled to date, further diminishing the cost effectiveness of the failed program.
Miller said a provision in this bill would allow MNsure to obtain a federal waiver, fully repeal the state exchange, and begin transitioning its customers onto the federal health exchange beginning with 2017 enrollments.
Miller added that the omnibus health legislation also includes provisions that increase access and affordability of child care and health care in Minnesota, and address the waste, fraud and abuse occurring in our public assistance programs.