In 2004, Linda started her own business. That meant leaving her former employer-paid health insurance policy; however, she was able to purchase insurance through COBRA for the first 18 months. When that expired, Linda researched private health insurance plans and applied for individual insurance in 2007.
"Imagine my surprise when I was turned down!" said Linda. "I was told the reason was that I had lost weight. I was directed to apply to the state-run high-risk pool. Since I was nearing 50 years old at that point, my rates kept increasing pretty substantially."
Linda decided to check out MNsure. After applying for coverage through the online marketplace, Linda now has far better insurance coverage and a lower deductible, and her premiums were reduced by more than $200 a month.
"This is like a financial windfall for me. My costs per year went from over $9,000 to less than $6,000. That includes a $2,000 deductible," said Linda. "In short, MNsure has been a blessing for me—I finally feel confident that I can continue my business because I know I can purchase insurance, rather than being at the whims of the private insurance industry. The anxiety and uncertainty around health insurance has been eliminated—and I am using my new benefits and they are great!"
