HF4465

Purpose

• Create and operate the Easy Enrollment Health Insurance Outreach Program to reduce the number of uninsured Minnesotans and increase access to affordable health insurance.
• Allow the Department of Revenue to share certain return information with MNsure to help people understand their potential eligibility for financial assistance and enrollment options.
• Enable MNsure to estimate potential eligibility for financial assistance, provide general information about coverage and programs, and conduct targeted outreach to help interested households apply for and enroll in affordable health insurance (including connecting them with free enrollment assistance from navigators or brokers).

Main Provisions

• Subdivision 1 — Establishment and purpose

  • Establishes the Easy Enrollment Health Insurance Outreach Program in cooperation with the commissioner of revenue.
  • Aims to reduce uninsured residents and increase access to affordable coverage.
  • Allows sharing return information with MNsure to inform taxpayers about potential eligibility and enrollment options.
  • Lets MNsure estimate potential eligibility for financial assistance and provide general information about health insurance programs and available financial help.
  • Authorizes targeted outreach to help interested households apply for and enroll in affordable coverage, including connecting them with free enrollment assistance from a navigator or broker.

• Subdivision 2 — Screening for eligibility

  • After MNsure receives return information from the commissioner of revenue, MNsure may make a projected assessment about whether a household may qualify for financial assistance.
  • MNsure reviews the information to identify households that may benefit from health coverage and provides general information about available coverage and financial assistance.

• Subdivision 3 — Outreach letter and special enrollment period

  • MNsure must send a written letter with the projected assessment and general information about health coverage and financial assistance to taxpayers who express interest in obtaining health insurance information.
  • The letter triggers a special enrollment period for those determined eligible to enroll in a qualified health plan through MNsure.
  • The special enrollment period lasts 65 days from the day the outreach letter is mailed; coverage becomes effective the first day of the month after plan selection.
  • Households with a current MNsure-enrolled member in a qualified health plan are not eligible for this special enrollment.
  • MNsure must provide public information about the easy enrollment program and the special enrollment period.

• Subdivision 4 — Appeals

  • Projected eligibility determinations for financial assistance are not subject to appeal.
  • Information provided about eligibility is not appealable.
  • Eligibility for the special enrollment period is appealable to MNsure under applicable rules.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Creates a new Easy Enrollment Health Insurance Outreach Program within MNsure and links it to the Department of Revenue for data to identify potential financial assistance and enrollment opportunities.
• Enables MNsure to perform proactive outreach and provide screening, information, and assistance to help eligible taxpayers enroll in health insurance with potential financial support.
• Establishes a new special enrollment mechanism (65-day window) triggered by a mailed outreach letter, with specific conditions (not available to households already enrolled in a MNsure-qualifying plan).
• Introduces a process where certain projected eligibility determinations are not subject to appeal, while the special enrollment eligibility remains appealable.

Relevant Terms

• MNsure
• Easy Enrollment Health Insurance Outreach Program
• health insurance outreach
• commissioner of revenue
• return information
• financial assistance
• projected eligibility
• health insurance coverage
• general information
• qualified health plan
• special enrollment period
• outreach letter
• triggering event
• 65 days
• plan selection
• effective date
• navigator
• broker
• free enrollment assistance
• appeals
• Minnesota Rules
• 270B.14 subdivision 22
• uninsured Minnesotans
• outreach program public information