Rising costs and limited choices left approximately 349,000 Minnesotans without health insurance coverage in 2017

Governor Dayton has proposed a MinnesotaCare Buy-In option, which would provide an estimated 100,000 Minnesotans another more affordable choice for health insurance

Unfortunately, Republican Legislators have advanced measures to block the MinnesotaCare Buy-In and put up barriers to health care access for more than 91,000 Minnesotans 

ST. PAUL, MN – Governor Mark Dayton today urged Legislators to pass a “MinnesotaCare Buy-In” option this session, to increase access to affordable health care for Minnesotans. Governor Dayton’s proposal would give an estimated 100,000 Minnesotans access to high-quality, more-affordable health insurance on the individual market, no matter where they live. Unfortunately, Republicans in the Legislature are advancing measures that would block the MinnesotaCare Buy-In and put up barriers to accessing health care for more than 91,000 Minnesotans. 

“In 2017, over 349,000 Minnesotans had no health insurance, due to rising costs and fewer choices,” said Governor Dayton. “This MinnesotaCare Buy-In proposal would offer a high-quality, more-affordable choice for Minnesotans living everywhere. Unfortunately, Republican Legislators are trying to permanently deny people the right to buy this more-affordable health coverage. I urge the Legislature to put our citizens’ wallets ahead of insurance company profits and pass the MinnesotaCare Buy-In.”

MinnesotaCare was enacted with bipartisan support 26 years ago, and today more than 100,000 eligible Minnesotans choose it for affordable, high-quality health care. Governor Dayton’s Buy-In proposal would lower health care costs for an estimated 100,000 additional people, by giving all Minnesotans on the individual health insurance market the choice to buy-in to MinnesotaCare. Under the MinnesotaCare Buy-In, Minnesotans would pay rates that are 28 percent lower, on average, than the same coverage on the commercial market. To further reduce health care costs, Minnesotans who purchase the MinnesotaCare Buy-In would still be eligible for federal tax credits through MNsure. 

“Right now, our family is paying more than $33,000 a year in health care premiums,” said Therese and Brian Romsdahl, who grow corn and soybeans and raise beef cattle in Butterfield. “With commodity prices low, that is a big expense for families like ours. Governor Dayton’s MinnesotaCare Buy-In would give a more-affordable option for quality health care to our family, and to farmers across the state.”

The MinnesotaCare Buy-In would strengthen and support rural health care providers, by reimbursing them at the same rate paid for Medicare enrollees. By helping more Minnesotans afford quality health insurance at prices they can better afford, the MinnesotaCare Buy-In would also reduce uncompensated care in emergency rooms across the state, which cost Minnesota hospitals $580 million in 2016. Under the Affordable Care Act, uncompensated care has decreased 16.7 percent, but rising uninsured rates threaten to undo that progress.

Republicans Have Authored Legislation to Prohibit the MinnesotaCare Buy-In

Unfortunately, instead of passing this commonsense, widely supported measure to expand health care options for Minnesotans, Republican Legislators have been advancing legislation which would explicitly prohibit the implementation of the MinnesotaCare Buy-In. The House Health and Human Services Omnibus Bill, and the Senate Tax Bill, would each prohibit the State of Minnesota from offering the MinnesotaCare Buy-In option to Minnesotans – denying them the better health coverage they need, at prices they could better afford.

“In Greater Minnesota, more and more families are feeling squeezed by rising costs and fewer choices for health care on the individual market,” said Dr. Glenn Nemec, President of the Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians. “Governor Dayton’s MinnesotaCare Buy-In would offer a good, affordable health insurance option to those who need it, while supporting rural providers and reducing uncompensated care.”

Republicans Are Pushing to Impose Barriers to Care for 91,000 Minnesotans

Republican Legislators are also advancing legislation that would impose new barriers to accessing health care for thousands of Minnesotans. Governor Dayton wrote a letter to Republican Legislators in March outlining his opposition to so-called “minimum work requirements” for Medicaid enrollees, many of whom live with disabilities and chronic conditions. It is estimated that these new requirements would impose barriers to accessing care for more than 91,000 Minnesotans.

“As the Legislature looks for ways to address important health challenges in our state, like the opioid epidemic, persistent racial disparities, increasing rates of uninsured, and access issues in Greater Minnesota, policies that create additional barriers to health insurance are counterproductive,” said Dr. Nathan Chomilo, Pediatrician and Hospitalist. “I would urge the Minnesota Legislature to instead bolster programs that work, by passing a MinnesotaCare Buy-In to provide better access to more affordable coverage for thousands of Minnesotans which will truly help lift them out of poverty.”

Governor Dayton Wants to Make Health Care More Affordable and Accessible

MinnesotaCare provides high-quality, lower-cost health coverage for 100,000 Minnesotans. Governor Dayton’s proposal would give all Minnesotans who purchase their insurance on the individual market the choice to buy MinnesotaCare Buy-In. Read more below to learn how MinnesotaCare Buy-In would work to improve access and reduce costs for Minnesotans. 

·         Enrollees Pay Their Own Way – MinnesotaCare Buy-In is not free. It is a health insurance policy just like those offered by commercial health plans. The premiums paid by “MinnesotaCare Buy-In” enrollees would pay for the cost of their policies, just like any other. This plan would require no additional ongoing costs for Minnesota taxpayers. 

·         More Affordable Premiums – MinnesotaCare Buy-In premiums are expected to be 28 percent lower than the average project premiums for commercial health plans in 2020. A MinnesotaCare Buy-In silver plan is projected to cost $659 per month vs. $914 per month. 

·         Eligible for Federal Tax Credits – Minnesotans who purchase MinnesotaCare Buy-In would still be eligible for federal tax credits through MNsure, which saved individual market enrollees an average of $7,000 on their health insurance premiums last year.

·         More Health Insurance Choices – Limited health insurance options in Greater Minnesota make it difficult for some Minnesotans to choose and keep their own doctors. But the broad network of physicians and care providers available through MinnesotaCare would offer more families, all across Minnesota, a real option to choose and keep their own doctors.

·         A Sustainable Option with No Ongoing Costs to Taxpayers – After a one-time startup cost, MinnesotaCare Buy-In would be funded entirely by the premiums of those who buy MinnesotaCare coverage. This plan would require no additional ongoing costs for Minnesota taxpayers. And with less than 3 percent overhead for the current program, MinnesotaCare has already proven it is more efficient, competitive, and accountable than many commercial health plans. 

·         Supporting Rural Providers – The MinnesotaCare Buy-In would strengthen and support rural health care providers, by reimbursing them at the same rate paid for Medicare enrollees. By helping more Minnesotans afford quality health insurance at prices they can better afford, the MinnesotaCare Buy-In would also reduce uncompensated care in emergency rooms across the state, which cost Minnesota hospitals $580 million in 2016.

Learn More about MinnesotaCare Buy-In

To learn more about the MinnesotaCare Buy-In proposal, click on the following links: 

·         Learn More – Learn more about the MinnesotaCare Buy-In proposal, including the five most important things you need to know about how this plan will provide high-quality, affordable health coverage for Minnesotans. [Link] 

·         Get the Facts – Get the facts about how MinnesotaCare Buy-In would work to provide lower health insurance premiums to more Minnesotans. [Link]

·         Get Your Questions Answered – Take a look at 15 of the most frequently-asked questions about the MinnesotaCare Buy-In proposal. [Link] 

Minnesota’s Uninsured Rate Increased to 6.3 Percent in 2017

After previously reaching a historic low of 4.3 percent in 2015, the Minnesota Health Access Survey found that Minnesota’s uninsured rate increased to 6.3 percent in 2017, leaving approximately 349,000 Minnesotans without health coverage. About 116,000 fewer Minnesotans had health coverage in 2017 than the last time this survey was conducted in 2015. The rising cost of health insurance, decreasing access to coverage through an employer, and uncertainty caused by the federal government were some of the most likely causes for the elevated uninsured rate. The data also show that historic disparities continue to exist – uninsured individuals were more likely to be lower income, young adults, people of color, or American Indians. The full report is online.