Enhancements to the Affordable Care Act
General Resources
Enrollment Resources
Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare
No. MNsure is Minnesota's health insurance marketplace.
MNsure.org is where individuals and families can shop, compare and choose health insurance coverage that meets their needs. MNsure is the only place you can qualify for financial help that can lower the cost of your monthly insurance premium.
MNsure Features
Any Minnesota resident who is a U.S. citizen, U.S. resident, or lawfully present can purchase health insurance through MNsure. Read more about the requirements.
Open enrollment is a set time period each year when consumers can enroll in private health plans offered through MNsure. During this time period consumers can also change or renew their current coverage in a private health plan. Annual open enrollment is usually in the fall and early winter months.
Consumers who experience certain life events (having a baby, getting married, turning 26) may qualify for a special enrollment period which would allow them to enroll in private coverage outside the annual open enrollment period.
Year-round enrollment is open to:
No — but health insurance provides regular, preventive care for you and your family to stay healthy and important financial protections. Medical bills are a common cause of bankruptcy and can reach into the millions of dollars. Quality health coverage protects you and your family from a lifetime of financial burden if an accident or unexpected illness happens.
Minnesotans can enroll in health insurance coverage outside of MNsure, but doing this prevents access to financial help such as premium tax credits, low-cost or no-cost coverage. Only by enrolling through MNsure can consumers get access to financial help.
All plans sold through MNsure provide comprehensive coverage and consumer protections such as no discrimination based on pre-existing conditions (you cannot be denied coverage or charged a higher premium based on your health status, for example). In addition, all plans sold through MNsure include 10 essential health benefits. Other plans available may not include the same benefits and protections guaranteed when purchasing a plan through MNsure.
Your eligibility (if you qualify) for Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare is determined by the Minnesota Eligibility Technology System (METS), which is accessed through MNsure, but the Department of Human Services (DHS) manages these programs.
Here's how it works:
MNsure acts as a single front door for Minnesotans to apply for health insurance, including public health programs managed by the state (DHS) and private health insurance managed by individual insurance companies.
If you apply through MNsure for health insurance with financial help, METS determines whether you qualify for Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare. If you qualify for one of these programs, your application and enrollment is managed by the Department of Human Services, including renewal, billing and support services.
For help with Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare contact the Department of Human Services. See also frequently asked questions about Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare and information for new members.
Find free local help from a MNsure-certified assister. They can guide you through each step of your application and enrollment.
You can also call the MNsure Contact Center at 651-539-2099 or 855-366-7873.
Insurance costs depend on a variety of factors. But MNsure remains the only place you can apply for financial help to lower the cost of your monthly premium and out-of-pocket costs.
Most Minnesotans who enroll through MNsure qualify for financial help. The amount of financial help is based on a sliding scale, so the lower your income, the higher the amount of assistance.
To get a quick estimate for the financial help for which you may qualify, see these income guidelines or use our plan comparison tool.
Absolutely. All plans sold on MNsure include consumer protections, one of which is no discrimination based on pre-existing conditions.
You may qualify for a special enrollment period (SEP) to enroll in coverage through MNsure if you lost health coverage in the past 60 days OR you expect to lose coverage in the next 60 days, through:
To avoid a gap in coverage you can apply for this SEP up to 60 days before your coverage ends.
You can also apply for this SEP up to 60 days after your employer coverage ends.
Yes. To cancel your coverage, follow the instructions on the End Coverage page.
Yes, you can enroll during the annual open enrollment period. However, access to employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) can affect your eligibility for financial help depending upon what it costs for you and what your household income is. Read more about ESI.
You cannot drop coverage and choose a MNsure plan outside of the annual open enrollment period unless you qualify for a special enrollment period.
Yes. Employees can enroll in a private health plan using MNsure and use their QSEHRA benefits toward premiums.
Your employer’s offer for a QSEHRA is considered affordable coverage that bars advanced premium tax credit (APTC) payments. However, in some situations, your employer’s contributions and the cost of your benchmark plan (second lowest cost silver plan or SLCSP) might be considered unaffordable, such that you could use both APTC and QSEHRA payments to help pay for your premiums. If you’re eligible for and apply both APTC and QSEHRA payments toward your premium, you must reduce your maximum APTC applied to your plan by your employer’s monthly contribution (or by 1/12 the annual employer contribution) to avoid additional tax liability.
Find a QSEHRA affordability worksheet and additional information here.
If your employer offers you an ICHRA, you'll need to determine if it is or isn’t considered affordable.
If you have accepted the offer of an ICHRA, or if it’s affordable for you even if you haven’t accepted the offer, you can’t get a premium tax credit to lower the cost of a plan you purchase through MNsure.
See more information including a worksheet to calculate ICHRA affordability.
Yes. It is protected by state and federal laws, rules and regulations related to storage, collection, use and dissemination of private or confidential information. Beyond the necessity to comply with applicable laws, MNsure takes the obligation to keep personal information private very seriously. All privacy requirements have been entered into the IT system, and security measures are an integral part of the business operations culture. Our personnel are able to access only the information that is necessary for them to perform their job.
Please call our Contact Center or find helpful information by topic in our Customer Service Guide.
