Rates for individuals who buy health insurance on MNsure, the state-run marketplace, will rise between 4.3 and 11.3 percent, the Minnesota Department of Commerce said Friday, Oct. 1.
However, many Minnesotans will ultimately pay less in premiums thanks to tax credits from the American Rescue Plan passed by Congress in March. MNsure estimates that families that buy insurance through the marketplace will save $684 on average.
“Most MNsure enrollees who qualify will see significant savings in 2022, making it the best year for consumers to take another look to see how much they can save,” MNsure CEO Nate Clark said in a statement.
MNsure’s open enrollment period begins Nov. 1 and runs through Jan. 15. Plans purchased by Dec. 15 will begin coverage Jan. 1 while those bought later will start Feb. 1.
The 2022 individual health plan rates announced Friday are higher than the more modest increases the state experienced a year ago when rates rose between 0.67 percent and 4.21 percent. Health officials say many people deferred care during the coronavirus pandemic because of concerns over safety.
ADVERTISEMENT
This year’s higher rate increase for coverage starting in 2022 led Senate Republicans to again call for more funding for the state’s reinsurance program that was established in 2017. The program uses taxpayer money to help insurance companies cover the cost of their sickest customers.
About $188 million in reinsurance funding was included in the bipartisan two-year state budget agreement the Legislature approved in June.
About 165,000 Minnesotans get their insurance through MNsure, the state’s health insurance market established under the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare. Of those, about 145,000 purchase individual health plans and 23,250 receive MinnesotaCare, the state-funded insurance for the working poor.
Another 113,000 Minnesotans receive federally funded medical assistance and about 4.7% of the state’s 5.8 million residents are uninsured. Nationally, about 11% of the population was uninsured in 2019.
Every county in Minnesota will have at least two insurers offering individual market plans with the majority (all but seven counties) having three or more insurers. Additionally, every county will have at least 22 separate health insurance plan options available in the individual market. For 2022, five health insurance companies are returning to partner with MNsure to offer qualified health plans to Minnesotans: Blue Plus, HealthPartners, Medica, Quartz and UCare. Dental plans will also be available from Delta Dental and Dentegra. Overall, MNsure’s partners are offering 10 more plans in 2022 than in 2021, according to a MNsure news release.
Final 2022 individual market and small group health insurance rates are posted at: mn.gov/commerce/consumers/your-insurance/health-insurance/rates/ .
