FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Jenni Bowring-McDonough
Media Relations Coordinator

ST. PAUL, Minn.-MNsure's Executive Director April Todd-Malmlov today announced that in the first 10 days of operation, more than 10,000 Minnesotans have taken a major step toward buying health insurance for themselves, their families or their employees through the MNsure marketplace. As of early Friday, there have been more than 35,000 unique visits to the MNsure.org website and more than 10,000 accounts have been created, reflecting a strong desire to shop, compare and buy affordable health coverage.

"We are pleased and proud that so many Minnesotans have accessed MNsure to begin the process of securing affordable, comprehensive health insurance for themselves, their families or their employees," said Todd-Malmlov. "Nearly 500,000 Minnesotans are living without health insurance, and MNsure plans have the lowest insurance rates in the country and greater coverage options for every Minnesotan in need of coverage. The promise of coverage regardless of a person's medical history is especially reassuring for those who have been denied insurance up to now."

In addition to the thousands of people who have visited the site and opened accounts, in the days since October 1, MNsure's Contact Center has been busy as well, receiving an average of 1,000 calls each day. Most callers have had questions about applications, inquired about eligibility requirements or received assistance in opening an account from a MNsure employee. The toll-free number for the Contact Center is 1-855-3-MNSURE, or 1-855-366-7873. Assistance is available in English, Spanish, Hmong and Somali, and representatives connect callers who need help in other languages to a Language Line offering 140 languages.

"We believed that October and early November would be quieter than these numbers imply, that many Minnesotans would come through MNsure to explore and educate themselves about what's available without necessarily creating accounts," Todd-Malmlov added. "We are still a young organization, but we are encouraged by this terrific response, especially when you consider that each visitor and each account may represent interest on behalf of multiple people in a family or a small business of 50 employees or more.

About MNsure
Beginning January 1, 2014, all U.S. citizens and legal residents will be required to have health insurance coverage. For those Minnesotans who are uninsured, underinsured or looking for new coverage choices, MNsure is a one-stop health insurance marketplace where individuals, families and small businesses will be able to get quality health coverage at a fair price. MNsure will empower more than 1 million Minnesotans to compare, choose and get help finding health care coverage. It will facilitate enrollment in public and private health insurance, determine eligibility for premium tax credits and allow Minnesotans to shop and compare between health care coverage options.

Open enrollment through MNsure began October 1, 2013, and runs through March 31, 2014. For more information about MNsure, how it will benefit Minnesota consumers and businesses, and how to provide input visit mnsure.org.