The biannual survey, administered by the Minnesota Department of Health and the University of Minnesota, showed that 213,000 more people had health insurance last year compared to 2013. The share of Minnesotans without coverage dropped from 8.2% to 4.3% and reveals progress among nearly all demographic groups, the researchers said.
State officials credited MNsure, the state’s online health insurance marketplace, which helped sign up Minnesota residents for health policies despite ongoing technical problems.
Expanded eligibility for the state’s Medicaid program also helped, as well as new rules allowing young adults to remain on their parents’ health plans until 26.
This led to an “unprecedented advance for the health and security of Minnesota families – particularly those who had previously been lost in the gaps of our system,” wrote Dr. Ed Ehlinger, state health commissioner.
Particular advancements were seen among the “long-term uninsured,” the report found, as well as adults ages 55 to 64, who have had higher uninsured rates in the past.
However, there is still room for improvement. According to the report, 234,000 Minnesota residents still lack coverage, though most are eligible for tax credits and public programs. Hispanic Minnesotans are particularly in need of coverage, researchers said.
Other Minnesotans are eligible for a subsidy but may not know it – something that could be solved by the state’s insurance agents.
A Star Tribune report also stressed that getting the unemployment rate to zero will not be a significant achievement if the plans available are not helping Minnesotans afford care. Some insurers may offer cheap plans with few benefits, which doesn’t address the problem of many uninsured people.
“Whether the current crop of plans forces consumers to take weak benefits for low premiums is unclear,” the newspaper reported. “Additional analysis of the survey data in the coming weeks will address whether people are using and gaining value from the benefits they have purchased”
