In part two of our ongoing updates about changes in the insurance landscape, our President and CEO Rachelle Schultz, EdD shares important information about MNsure Read the full transcript below or watch the video below:
“For part two of what’s going on in the insurance landscape here in Winona County and the surrounding area, today I wanted to talk a little bit about MNsure.
This is a different set of plans and coverage. So folks, you might be going through the same process to fill out applications, the MNsure applications that would determine if you qualify for medical assistance or MinnesotaCare, and if you don’t qualify for either of those, you would qualify then for MNsure, and that is going on the state’s exchange for coverage.
These are typically also known as bronze, silver, gold plans, and many of the different insurance companies provide those plans. So again, a Blue Cross, a HealthPartners, Medica, and so forth. So you have to kind of go on the website to figure out which plans are covered.
Now the issues with MNsure are a bit different than the Medicare Advantage that I talked about. MNsure is commercial insurance, and it is helping kind of close a gap for folks who might fall in between — maybe can’t access insurance through employment or don’t qualify for some of the other programs.
The thing about the MNsure programs is that this is what came through with the Affordable Care Act — were some government subsidies that would help people afford these types of plans.
This is actually what Congress is arguing about right now. This is why we have the government shutdown right now, specifically because there’s one side that wants to have those subsidies back and the other side that doesn’t. So hopefully they come to some resolution, and it will be good for folks — whatever that resolution is.
What I would also say is that you should expect, because we have been hearing this across all plans, there will be increases in what those premiums are. All of these plans have increased substantially — there are premiums, and we’ve heard anywhere from 30 percent to 50%, to 70%, and possibly higher.
The higher ones would be because the subsidy is no longer available for folks. So their out-of-pocket costs can be quite significant from where it was before.
So the concern around this particular type of insurance is that due to those increasing costs and currently the loss of the subsidies, folks might actually choose not to get any insurance and go uninsured.
So the concern about that is when you go without any insurance and you have a gap, oftentimes it’s very difficult to get back into an insurance plan at some point.
Once again, this one — if you are looking for an MNsure plan, you will need to find a broker. There are many brokers here in town. We can also help you and make referrals to some of those brokers if that’s what you would like or you need some assistance with. You can again, you know, give us a call. We’ll help you through those steps.
This one also is going to take some education and some resources to go look up what plans are available — you know, which level of plan would you like? Again, what are the premiums for those? And then we’re going to wait and see right now relative to those subsidies.
So, you know, that’s kind of the status of those right now. We will help you find those types of resources or make those referrals. But this one is a bit different. And this one, again, my worry here — I would hate to see folks go uninsured. That is also not a good outcome of all of the disruption that is happening in the insurance marketplace right now.”
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