FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Jenni Bowring-McDonough
Media Relations Coordinator

ST. PAUL, Minn.-Today, MNsure released a Consumer Decision Support Tools request for proposals (RFP), seeking additional health plan comparison tools for consumers shopping for individual or small group plans offered through MNsure.

The goal of this project is to provide additional online resources to help consumers shopping for health care insurance on MNsure better understand their options and choose the plan that best meets their needs and budget. MNsure intends to implement a personalized total out-of-pocket cost calculator, along with other decision support tools to allow consumers to better compare quality rating information and provider networks for the plans available to them.

"We know that for many Minnesotans, shopping for health insurance can be a complicated process," said CEO Scott Leitz. "We want to make shopping and comparing various health insurance policies as easy as possible. That's why we feel these new tools are necessary, and why we want them to be part of the ever-improving MNsure marketplace."

Proposals are due on or before 4 p.m. on May 19, 2015, with an award decision scheduled to be publicly announced in June. The awarded vendor must have the new comparison tools in place by the start of the 2016 open enrollment period.

The full RFP is available /about-us/rfp-contract/index.jspon the MNsure website.

Open enrollment for 2015 coverage began November 15, 2014, and ended February 15, 2015. Minnesotans eligible for Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare can enroll year-round. As of May 2014, 95 percent of Minnesotans have health coverage--the highest percentage in state history. The 2016 open enrollment period is scheduled to begin November 1, 2015, and end on January 31, 2016.