Last week Jackie Crosby of the Star Tribune released an article titled “Minnesota gets cash to plan health exchanges,” which highlighted some of the major changes that will soon affect all Minnesotans. These changes are raising some crucial issues and questions…
Minnesota will receive $4.2 million from the federal government, in addition to the $1 million it received in February, to continue to build a health insurance exchange, which the 2011 Legislature decided to ignore when it chose not to pass a bill formally establishing a health insurance exchange. Where is the bipartisan support for state formation of the Exchange Bill that the author of the article states exists?
The federal reform law – Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) – which became law in March, 2010, set in place a series of “game changing” rules about how Americans will be purchasing healthcare insurance starting January 1, 2014. The concept of Health Insurance Exchanges is still a volatile subject for many states.
So how should the state communicate this to the public? The Minnesota Department of Commerce should hold periodic public meetings to let Minnesotans understand its plans for a health insurance exchange and to report on progress it has made, to date, spending the initial $1 million. Hopefully, the Department is contracting with Minnesota firms and/or individuals to create the design for the Exchange and to put the technical infrastructure in place. The 2012 Minnesota Legislature should hold hearings on the Exchange bill, with open debate of the issues, and should pass a law Minnesotans can support.
Are you prepared for the changes that will hit Minnesotans?