FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ST. PAUL, Minn.—Minnesotans who want private health coverage through the MNsure marketplace beginning January 1 have until midnight on Thursday, December 15, to complete enrollment.

“It’s important to complete your enrollment as soon as possible to have access to the widest range of plan options available,” advised MNsure CEO Allison O'Toole.

“Current customers can renew or change their private plan during the annual open enrollment period,” stated O'Toole. “If you are satisfied with your current plan and it is available next year, your coverage will automatically renew.”

MNsure reminds Minnesotans to use the comparison shopping tool. This tool allows you to evaluate plans to see what’s the right fit for you based on your personal health and your projected total cost of care in 2017. You can also see if you qualify for financial help.

MNsure has extended Contact Center hours in the days leading up to the deadline:

• Sunday, 12/11: 8 a.m. to noon
• Monday, 12/12 through Wednesday, 12/14: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Thursday, 12/15: 8 a.m. to midnight

Additionally, the online MNsure marketplace will have extended hours. Beginning Monday, December 12, at 4 a.m., the marketplace is available 24 hours daily, continuing through Saturday, December 17, at 6 p.m., at which time it closes for system updates.

Minnesotans who do not enroll by the December 15 deadline will have until January 31, 2017, to secure health care coverage for 2017. Those who enroll by January 15, 2017, will have coverage that starts February 1, 2017, and those who enroll by January 31, 2017, will have coverage that starts March 1, 2017. It is important to note that consumers must pay their first month's premium on time for their coverage to start on these days.

Below is an update to MNsure's 2017 open enrollment period.

Online

Since the start of open enrollment, there have been:

• 41,882 enrollments in private health coverage completed
• 10,803 MinnesotaCare eligibility determinations
• 33,637 Medical Assistance eligibility determinations
• 1,111,734 visits to MNsure.org
• 192,056 sessions or visits on the comparison shopping tool
• 21,781 page views on the Assisters page – demonstrating that Minnesotans are exploring those options
• 48,045 accounts created
• 68,183 applications completed

Contact Center

• We have received 510 total calls to the Contact Center
• The current wait time is just over 3 minutes.

The 2017 open enrollment period began on November 1, 2016, and ends on January 31, 2017. Minnesotans eligible for Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare can enroll year-round. As of February 2016, 96 percent of Minnesotans have health coverage—the highest percentage in state history.