Minnesota health insurance exchange will open 3-month special enrollment period Feb. 16

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota’s state-run health insurance exchange said Wednesday it will open a three-month special enrollment period to help uninsured and other Minnesotans obtain coverage.

MNsure said the open enrollment will begin Feb. 16 and run through May 17. The announcement follows a nationwide special enrollment period ordered by President Joe Biden last week for states that participate in the federal exchange.

“COVID-19 is still with us, so having access to comprehensive health care coverage is critical at this time,” MNsure CEO Nate Clark said in a statement.

MNsure ran a similar special enrollment period for uninsured Minnesotans last March just after the start of the pandemic and enrolled nearly 10,000 Minnesotans into private coverage. Additionally, MNsure’s annual open enrollment period, which ended Dec. 22, saw increased enrollments.

The exchange said Minnesotans currently enrolled in health insurance coverage outside of MNsure should confirm their coverage options through MNsure before making changes to their current coverage. The state-run exchange is the only place where Minnesotans can apply for public subsidies to lower their premiums and out-of-pocket costs.