Mark Dayton reappoints two MNsure board members

April 17--Two members of MNsure's board of directors will get another four years leading the state-run health insurance marketplace -- provided it continues to exist.

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton on Monday reappointed MNsure board chair Pete Benner and board member Phil Norrgard to new four-year terms. Their terms were previously scheduled to expire next month.

Dayton appointed the original six members of MNsure's board in 2013. (The seventh spot is automatically filled by the state's Human Services Commissioner.) Four of the original six have since left the board, replaced by new appointees as their terms expired. Benner and Norrgard are the first board members Dayton has reappointed.

MNsure is a marketplace where Minnesotans can shop for and select private health insurance plans on the state's individual market, and receive federal tax subsidies if their income is low enough. The website is also linked to the state's public health care programs, Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare, so people shopping at MNsure who qualify for those programs get enrolled there instead.

The new terms for Benner and Norrgard will last until 2021, as long as MNsure is still around. Republicans in the state Legislature want to abolish MNsure and have the federal government run Minnesota's health insurance marketplace instead of the state. Congress may also significantly overhaul the federal Affordable Care Act, which authorized state-run exchanges such as MNsure.

Benner is a consultant who works in health care and other areas, and previously worked for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union. His spot on the MNsure board is reserved for a member with expertise in health administration, health care finance, health plan purchasing and health care delivery systems. Benner has been MNsure's board chair since 2015.

Norrgard is the retired Human Services director for the Fond du Lac Reservation. His position on the board represents consumers eligible for public programs.

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