EDITORIAL: Double dose of MNsure good news
MNsure announced this summer that open enrollment would run through
The decision for extra time was made after MNsure responsibly checked in with stakeholders, consumers, and others and made a thorough assessment of the market.
"Uniformly, the message came back that there's still plenty of uncertainty," MNsure Interim CEO
A lot is happening in the marketplace.
There always seems to be chatter and proposals in D.C. to repeal, replace, or alter the nation's health care system. As imperfect as Obamacare may have been, its disruption by politicians is hugely disrupting, each and every time, to Americans craving consistency and predictability.
Also, Medicare cost plans are going away, leaving more than 300,000 Minnesotans scrambling for new coverage. They're working with professionals who work also work with MNsure and suddenly could use some extra time.
Finally, new private plans are being marketed directly to consumers, further complicating options and decision-making. These plans feature attractive low costs but aren't regulated like other health products and often don't cover as much. They're what MNsure calls "skinny plans." With them, "It's more important than ever to read the fine print so you know what you're getting into," MNsure Senior Director of Public Affairs
"All of these things just create a nexus of potential confusion," said Clark, "and with all of those things in the mix, we just wanted to make sure consumers have all the time they needed to review their plan coverage options and to choose what's best for them as well as for their families."
So an extra month, Minnesotans.
And lower rates, too, which is yet more good news for state-exchange users. Statewide, rates are down 7 percent to 12 percent, and a lot of the credit for that can go to "reinsurance," the decision of the 2016
Reinsurance expires in 2019, however, and "it will be the responsibility of the new governor and Legislature to work together to figure out what the plan forward looks like," Clark said.
Let it look more like the MNsure of today rather than how MNsure looked when it was first created. Then, poor customer service, uneven costs, and a lack of leadership were so frustrating. Now, MNsure officials can keep working to ensure the good news only continues.
'Laudable strides'
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-- From a
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