FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Jenni Bowring-McDonough
Media Relations Coordinator

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Even though the 2014 open enrollment period is closed, MNsure-certified navigators and brokers continue to provide free one-on-one enrollment help to Minnesotans looking to sign up for health insurance through the state's online marketplace. More than 780 outreach and enrollment opportunities took place across Minnesota in May, and more are scheduled as summer begins.

"The hustle and bustle of open enrollment is behind us, but that doesn't mean we're slowing down our enrollment efforts," said CEO Scott Leitz. "With Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare enrollment open year-round, we are seeing an average of 1,100 new enrollees every day. Those are the same numbers we were seeing during open enrollment."

The MNsure outreach and enrollment opportunities calendar is updated bi-weekly with new events added as they become available. All opportunities are organized by MNsure-certified navigators and/or brokers. Interested consumers should contact the organization directly for further details.

"MNsure navigators and brokers are here to help Minnesotans obtain the comprehensive health insurance coverage they need," said Leitz. "If you have questions about the enrollment process, or want to know if you qualify to enroll outside of open enrollment, I urge you to contact one of our certified partner organizations."

To date, MNsure has enrolled 50,881 Minnesotans in a qualified health plan, 47,328 in MinnesotaCare and 129,332 in Medical Assistance, for a total of 227,541.

The 2014 open enrollment period ended on March 31. Minnesotans who did not enroll in coverage must now wait until the next open enrollment begins on November 15, 2014, and may be subject to a tax penalty. The only consumers that can currently enroll in health insurance, inside or outside of MNsure, are those that experience a qualifying life event, those who are eligible for Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare, members of federally recognized Indian tribes, or participants in the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP).