It’s my pleasure to share that MinnesotaCare became more inclusive this week. 

Starting November 12, immigration status is no longer a barrier to accessing this important health insurance program. The Department of Human Services officially opened MinnesotaCare to undocumented people living in the state, and applications can be submitted now. 

Immigrant communities are vital to the fabric of our state – to our workforce, to our economy, and as our friends, colleagues, family members and neighbors. Yet for too long, high rates of uninsurance for undocumented people have contributed to disparities in health care access, health outcomes and quality of life. Expanded eligibility for these Minnesotans will reduce uninsured rates, increase preventive and early health care use in lieu of emergency room visits, lower costs, decrease uncompensated care, and improve health outcomes. That benefits all Minnesotans. Our public health is interconnected. 

Please join me in helping spread the word to immigrant communities about this important change in eligibility for MinnesotaCare. Communications will take a team approach, and we’ve developed a suite of tools to hopefully make it easy for you to share messages. Your communications materials include a one-stop shop for all things MinnesotaCare at mn.gov/dhs/minnesotacare. This new website is translated into Spanish, Somali and Oromo. From there, you will find a communications toolkit that includes:

• Social media posts
• Digital ads
• Printable materials, like a one-pager of frequently asked questions and a poster
• Copy to share in emails and newsletters
• PowerPoint decks for community events

These materials are evergreen, because today only marks the beginning of access to MinnesotaCare for undocumented people. There is no deadline to apply for the program, and no limit on the number of people who enroll. People can apply year-round. 

The 2023 Legislature approved the law making MinnesotaCare more inclusive with support from a broad coalition of community, health, labor and faith organizations. It will continue to take a broad coalition of us working together to get folks enrolled. I look forward to joining you in that effort. Together, we will be making life-changing differences for the people of this state.

In gratitude,

John M. Connolly, Ph.D., M.S.Ed.

Pronouns: he/him/his

Assistant Commissioner, Health Care Administration