Minnesota House approves health insurance exchange bill
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The Minnesota House of Representatives on Monday approved legislation, H.F. 5, that would set up a state health insurance exchange.
The chief beneficiaries of the exchange would be the lower-income uninsured state residents who, starting in 2014, would be eligible — under the 2010 health care reform law — for federal premium subsidies to buy coverage from insurers participating in the exchange.
In 2011, nearly 500,000 people in Minnesota under age 65 lacked health insurance, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Minnesota is one of 16 states, plus the District of Columbia, that have received conditional approval from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to set up an exchange. Seven other states intend to offer exchanges as part of partnership agreements with HHS.
In the remaining 27 states, HHS will set up exchanges, which are authorized are the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to issue policies, effective Jan. 1, 2014.
The Minnesota Senate is expected to act on the measure this week.
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