MNsure Enrollment Hits Record High

St. Paul, MN (KROC-AM News) - Officials with Minnesota’s health insurance exchange say MNsure set a new enrollment record this year.

117,654 state residents purchased private health insurance coverage through MNsure during the recently closed open enrollment period. There were an additional 147,880 enrollments in government run health programs, which brought the total number of enrollments over 265,500. The number of enrollments in private health insurance plans was up over 30-percent when compared to the total from a year ago.

MNsure officials say approximately 47-percent of the private plan enrollees were new to the insurance exchange this year, while about 64-percent are receiving federal tax credits to help pay for the cost of their coverage. Those ineligible for the tax credits can apply for 25-percent rebates through the over $300 million assistance package that was approved by the Minnesota legislature last month to address a spike in the cost of the coverage available on the individual market.

The number of Minnesotans signing up for coverage through public programs also had a record high. Over 33,000 enrolled in MinnesotaCare and officials note there were over 114,000 new enrollments in the Medical Assistance program.

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