Brokers Get Their Own MNsure Number

Oct. 14--MNsure, the agency that handles the health insurance marketplace in Minnesota, recently announced it has set up a help line dedicated to insurance agents and brokers.

Brokers and agents, like everyone else, sometimes faced major delays when they tried to contact MNsure, said Alycia Riedl, board chairwoman of the Minnesota Association of Health Underwriters.

"I could tell you tons of stories," Riedl said in a telephone interview. "Last year, we had brokers that would call and put it on speaker phone for three hours (waiting for an answer)."

And unlike most insurance companies, MNsure originally didn't have people dedicated to answer questions from insurance professionals, she said.

MNsure began beefing up its contact center staff earlier this year, and now has 135 customer service representatives, with eight specifically assigned to brokers and agents, Riedl said. Another 30 are dedicated to navigators -- people from nonprofits who are trained to help people with MNsure questions. All 30 of those will serve as backups for the eight assigned to the brokers.

But her group is disappointed that MNsure didn't fulfill its request for a portal on its website specifically intended for brokers and agents, Riedl said.

The toll-free broker help line is (844) 520-8695. Consumers should call (855) 366-7873.

Open enrollment for plans purchased through MNsure begins Nov. 15 and continues through Feb. 15.

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