Dear Neighbors,
An announcement tomorrow could result in massive health insurance premium increases for about 250,000 Minnesotans.
On Thursday, the Minnesota Department of Commerce will announce their decision regarding several insurance providers request to increase insurance premiums. The proposed hikes range from 20 to 50 percent for MNsure customers and not for those insured through their employer. In total, these hikes could affect one in 20 Minnesotans.
More specifically, the requested hikes for individual insurance plans include 24 percent by HealthPartners, 27 percent by UCare, 49 percent by PreferredOne, and more than 50 percent by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.
Simply put, Minnesota families cannot afford another massive increase in their insurance premiums. Premium hikes of this type will have a serious, negative impact on working Minnesota families. Minnesotans affected by these increases include families struggling to put food on the table, students working two jobs to pay for tuition, and retirees who instead of enjoying their retirement, now need to account for skyrocketing insurance premiums.
While wages remain stagnant as the cost of groceries and other services like utilities and telecommunications rise, I am concerned that the proposed insurance premium increases will take away any discretionary spending Minnesota families may have. This will have an adverse impact on our local economies as families spend more on health insurance and less in their own communities. The effect could be devastating.
Once again, the families and individuals that Democrats promised would be helped by MNSure are the ones that would be most hurt by these proposed rate increases.
Obamacare simply does not work for Minnesota. These proposed prices are the result of flaws in federal policy that punish Minnesota consumers and toss aside years of innovation in Minnesota's health care system. This session, House Republicans successfully passed reforms to establish more oversight over Obamacare in Minnesota, bring greater transparency in insurance prices and create a waiver that could give Minnesotans more affordable health care options.
While we wait to find out, tomorrow, whether or not these increases will take place, the point remains the same, MNsure is broken. We can do better.
As always, you can send me an e-mail at Rep.Mary.Franson@House.MN or call my office at 651-296-3201. You can also send mail to my office address: 517 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155.
Sincerely,
Mary