EDITORIAL: MNsure disclosure begins to sort out puzzle [St. Cloud Times, Minn.]

Sept. 10--Minnesotans now have the biggest pieces of the puzzle that is MNsure -- the state-created health insurance exchange. State leaders Friday released information about premium costs, participating insurers, coverage and provider networks.

Such details might make it seem like consumers now should be able to easily decide whether this is a good deal for them. Sorry, not even if you have a Blue Ox.

Yes, the good news is Minnesota has the lowest average rates compared to other states that released costs. But that does not translate to savings for every Minnesotan.

For starters, remember, MNsure was created under the federal Affordable Care Act primarily to help find health insurance for individuals, small businesses and people already in certain public programs.

Early estimates indicate that's about 1 million people statewide. Certainly, 1 million is a lot, but that's not the majority of the state's 5.5 million residents. Those folks typically are covered through large employers and large government programs like Medicare.

If you are eligible or even just curious about what's being sold, the information released Friday should be viewed as a starting point.

Please know that this will take some effort on your part. There are five insurers selling 141 different plans through the exchange. Enrollment opens Oct. 1 with coverage starting Jan. 1. And again in citing why it was built, about half of participants will qualify for tax credits to help defray the costs.

In fact, whether you are eligible for assistance is one of a handful of key factors the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health policy research organization, says is critical to understand in doing your shopping. Others include:

-- The new policies may not be precisely comparable to what you have now because the ACA requires certain coverage under them. In other words, don't assume you are comparing apples to apples.

-- Look beyond premium costs to the amounts of deductibles and co-payments. Low premiums often come with high deductibles.

-- Remember, you are not average. Premiums vary based on age, where you live and the insurer selected.

For more information, visit the MNsure website, http://www.mn.gov/hix, or call 855-366-7873. Call center hours are 7:30 a.m--8 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m.--4:30 p.m. Saturdays. The mailing address is MNsure, 81 East 7th Street, Suite 300, St. Paul, MN 55101-2211.

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