FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ST. PAUL, Minn.—Thousands of Minnesotans not insured for 2017 still qualify for a /new-customers/enrollment-deadlines/special-enrollment/index.jspspecial enrollment period (SEP) if they or someone in their household lost "qualifying health insurance" in the past 60 days. This includes Blue Cross and Blue Shield customers and HealthPartners customers living in Greater Minnesota. Eligible Minnesotans still have until March 1, 2017 to enroll in coverage that starts the first day of the month following the date of plan selection.

In 2017, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota stopped selling Blue Cross individual health insurance plans across the state—both inside and outside of MNsure. (The company’s Blue Plus plans are still available in 2017). HealthPartners stopped selling in individual plans in some Greater Minnesota counties.

/new-customers/enrollment-deadlines/special-enrollment/sep-apply/index.jspSteps for enrolling can be found in the special enrollment section of the MNsure website.

Minnesotans looking for expert help with this SEP can find a MNsure-certified assister using the /help/find-assister/find-assister.jspAssister Directory.

This year all Minnesotans purchasing health insurance through the individual market are eligible for financial assistance either through public programs, the advanced premium tax credit (APTC), or through the premium relief subsidy recently enacted by the governor and legislature. The premium relief subsidy provides an automatic 25 percent discount on health insurance premiums for Minnesotans not on public programs or receiving APTC.

The 2017 open enrollment period began on November 1, 2016, and ended on January 31, 2017. As of February 2016, 96 percent of Minnesotans have health coverage—the highest percentage in state history. MNsure has already enrolled more than 115,000 Minnesotans into private health plan coverage in 2017. The average APTC is $621 per household—or about $7500 a year. Minnesotans eligible for Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare can enroll year-round. More information can be found at mnsure.org.