MNsure points 16,000 to coverage with COVID-19 crisis
More than 16,000 people have applied for public and private health insurance through MNsure during a special enrollment period launched late last month in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
MNsure, which is the government-run exchange for individuals to obtain health insurance, launched special enrollment so uninsured people could get covered with the public health crisis.
While the program was designed to potentially reduce the number of uninsured residents at a time when many might need health care, it appears that a number of newly unemployed people are among those who are currently signing up.
Health exchange users don’t specify why they’re using MNsure, but more than 1,800 people have been eligible to enroll in private health plans due to certain “life events,” a category that includes job loss.
“We do not have a breakdown between individuals in that situation vs. other life events like having a baby, adding a spouse, etc.,” a MNsure spokeswoman wrote by e-mail.
Since the special enrollment period started
About 4,500 have enrolled in private coverage, including about 2,700 who are enrolling through the special enrollment period for the COVID-19 emergency.
“I think the much higher number of people enrolling in public programs is a function of ... jobs being lost as the economy slows dramatically,”
Nearly 400,000 Minnesotans have filed unemployment claims since
People can enroll in public insurance programs via MNsure at any time. With the special enrollment period for COVID-19, residents have until
People who have recently lost or will lose insurance through their employer might qualify for special enrollment due to that life event, but they must contact MNsure and pick a plan within 60 days of losing employer coverage. To avoid a gap, people can “contact MNsure up to 60 days in advance of your employer’s plan ending to begin the enrollment process,” MNsure said in a statement.
MNsure is an online marketplace where people who don’t get coverage from an employer can buy health insurance or learn if they might qualify for state public programs. It was launched as part of the federal Affordable Care Act, which provides subsidies for many who buy coverage through a government-run exchange.
Minnesota’s MNsure is one of 11 exchanges run by different states that have created a special enrollment period due to concerns about the new coronavirus.
“MNsure opened a special enrollment period to provide Minnesotans with the opportunity to obtain comprehensive health insurance coverage during these uncertain times,” the agency said in a statement. “At this point in time, we are seeing strong interest.”
Twitter: @chrissnowbeck
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