How to Choose the Right Plan

If you do NOT want financial help, and prefer to pay full price for a plan, you can preview plans with our plan comparison tool to see what plans fit your needs (skip the "Annual Household Income" and Check for Savings sections.)

If you ARE interested in financial help, you can get an idea of what you might qualify for with our plan comparison tool:

• Tax credits can be used to lower your monthly premium costs of a private health insurance plan and are only available through MNsure. To qualify, your household size and income must meet certain limits.
• Cost-sharing reductions, which lower the amount you pay for out-of-pocket costs like co-insurance. Cost-sharing reductions only apply to silver plans. (This silver plan limit does not apply to members of federally recognized American Indian tribes).
  
• Find out if your income and household size are in the income range for getting low-cost or no-cost insurance through MinnesotaCare or Medical Assistance.

Estimate your total costs for health care:

• You pay a monthly bill to your insurance company (premium), even if you don’t use medical services that month.
• You pay out-of-pocket costs, including a deductible or co-pay, when you get care. Out-of-pocket costs can have a big impact on your total spending on health care, sometimes more than the premium itself.
  

See “Learn about the plans” below for information on plan metal levels and health care costs.

When you shop and compare private health plans on  MNsure, you can start by selecting the metal level you think will fit your needs. The plan with the lowest monthly premium is not always the best choice.

• If you expect to have a lot of doctor visits or need to fill prescriptions often, you may want a gold or silver plan, rather than a bronze plan because they pay more of your costs when you need care. 
• If you qualify for premium tax credits, you can use them for a gold, silver or bronze plan.
• If you purchase a silver plan and qualify for premium tax credits or cost-sharing reductions, the deductible can be a lot less than a deductible for the typical bronze plan. You may end up spending less on health care overall if you enroll in a silver plan.
• If you qualify for cost-sharing reductions, you can use those only if you pick a silver plan, unless you are an American Indian or Alaska Native with membership in a federally recognized tribe, in which case you can receive cost-sharing reductions in all metal levels.
• If you are under 30 years old or have a hardship exemption and want a very low monthly premium, you may qualify to purchase a catastrophic plan. This type of plan will have a high deductible and pay the least when you need care.

Using providers in your health plan’s network will likely keep your health care costs lower. Use our plan comparison tool, and contact your health insurance company, to find doctors and facilities in your health plan’s network.

Use our plan comparison tool to:

• Find out which plans cover your prescription drugs and what your cost could be. 
• Find out which plans offer free or low-cost insulin.
• See quality ratings for health plans sold through the MNsure marketplace.

When you shop for a health plan, it’s important to look beyond what the monthly premium will cost. Here are some basic things to keep in mind as you compare plans: 

• The monthly premium
• The yearly deductible
• The out-of-pocket maximum
• What prescription drugs are covered and how much you will pay
• What is covered and how much you will pay if you see a specialist or need to go to the emergency room
• If you have a primary care doctor, check to see if they are in the plan's network

You can find much of this information in each plan's summary of benefits and coverage or SBC in our plan comparison tool. SBCs are summaries provided by insurance companies to explain the benefits of the plans they offer and what the plan covers. All SBCs are formatted the same and cover the same information, which makes it easier to compare plans side by side.

At any point in the process of applying and enrolling in health insurance through MNsure, you can get free help from a MNsure-certified assister. You can also attend an enrollment event or call our Contact Center for help.

Please note: the MNsure Contact Center cannot provide advice on choosing a plan, but MNsure-certified brokers can. If you are calling us for enrollment help, please have your plan selected ahead of time.

MNsure’s statewide network of insurance brokers can help decide which health plan is right for your needs and your budget. 

Search our directory for a broker or a broker enrollment center in your area and make an appointment to discuss your options. You can also look for an enrollment event near you. 

Please note: the MNsure Contact Center cannot provide advice on choosing a plan. If you are calling us for enrollment help, please have your plan selected ahead of time. Or, get connected with an expert broker near you.