Dear neighbor,
Earlier this month state officials revealed that at least 16,000 low-income Minnesotans never received letters telling them that the state needed more information on their MNsure applications for insurance coverage through the Medical Assistance program. It is possible that many of these people remain uninsured. The notices were supposed to tell the applicants to provide more information to qualify for the state's Medical Assistance program, but were never sent to the affected individuals.
Due to poor implementation of Minnesota’s Obamacare exchange, 16,000 low-income Minnesotans may be without coverage. Instead of recognizing that families were going to be penalized, House Democrats called these people lawbreakers and dismissed Republican efforts during the 2014 Legislative Session to provide assistance. We need to know whether there is a plan to hold officials at the Department of Human Services accountable or if the same group of people will be allowed to continue making the same mistakes to the detriment of our citizens.
Unfortunately, the bad news doesn’t end there. We learned a few days ago that the executive director of the Minnesota Council of Health Plans said she would “not be surprised if the health plans increased their rates by 8, 10, or even 12 percent.” Even worse, the Dayton Administration won’t reveal the rates until November 15. Releasing rates early provides transparency for people who may need more time to make educated decisions about what works best for their family. During the 2014 Legislative Session, Republican legislators offered several proposals to require the rates be released earlier. However, such proposals were blocked by the Democrat majority.
If you’re having problems with MNsure, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Based on state law, I can no longer send out legislative e-mail updates after July 15 through November 4. However, I can still respond to individual constituent e-mails and letters. Please feel free to contact my office with any questions, comments, and concerns you may have in the coming months.
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: 211 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155.
Sincerely,
Mary