MN Council of Health Plans

With both state and federal subsidies for the individual market set to expire at the end of next year, a recent study from RAND projected that more than 90,000 Minnesotans could become uninsured in 2026. As state legislators consider potential healthcare reforms, it is important not to overlook these looming affordability issues.

Read more from Lucas Nesse, the President and CEO of the Minnesota Council of Health Plans: https://mnhealthplans.org/ensuring-affordability-in-minnesotas-individual-market-dont-overlook-2026/

Ensuring Affordability in Minnesota's Individual Market: Don't Overlook 2026 - Minnesota Council of Health Plans With both state and federal subsidies for the individual market set to expire at the end of next year, a recent study projected that over 90,000 Minnesotans could become uninsured in 2026

Stay protected this fall with FREE flu shot clinics. UCare is partnering with the Hmong Health Care Professionals Coalition to host several flu clinics in the Hmong community. No registration or appointments are needed.
https://www.ucare.org/health-wellness/health-management/flu-shots

Minnesotans, protect yourself from major respiratory viruses this season! In addition to the flu shot, vaccines for COVID-19 and RSV are now available. Our recent blog has all the information you need to stay protected.

Read it here:

This fall, three vaccines are available to help Minnesotans protect themselves and their loved ones from serious illness This is the first fall and winter virus season where vaccines are available for two other major respiratory viruses –COVID-19 and RSV.

Exciting news! Registration is now open for the 2nd annual Health Sector Leaders Consortium, hosted by Business Advancement Center for Health - BACH at the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management. Join us for a transformative experience as we bring together industry experts who are changing the business of healthcare. You won't want to miss this unique opportunity to network, in-person, with these We are grateful to our sponsors MN Council of Health Plans, Office of Academic Clinical Affairs and the MHA Program in the University of Minnesota School of Public Health!

We are excited to announce Dana Erickson, president and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota as the newly appointed chair of our board of directors. In this role, she will help guide the collaborative efforts of the Council's nonprofit health plan members to advance the shared mission of getting Minnesotans the affordable, equitable and quality-based care they need.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota CEO Dana Erickson named chair of the Minnesota Council of Health Plans Board of Directors The Minnesota Council of Health Plans appointed Dana Erickson chair of the Board of Directors. Erickson is president and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.

Through January 2024, Minnesotans on Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare who need extra time and support will have an additional month to turn in their renewal paperwork. http://mn.gov/dhs/media/news/index.jsp?id=1053-588996

Happy National Immunization Awareness Month. It's a key opportunity to highlight the importance of vaccination at all ages. Make sure you are protecting yourself and your loved ones with vaccines.

Minnesotans whose Medical Assistance renewal forms were originally due July 31 will have an extra month to turn in their paperwork.

Minnesota provided a similar extension to people whose Medical Assistance forms were originally due June 30. The state and its partners have been using the additional time to redouble outreach efforts and help more people through the renewal process. That group still faces a July 31 deadline to submit their forms.

“If your renewal is due, please send it in as soon as you can,” said Interim Assistant Human Services Commissioner Julie Marquardt. “Help with paperwork is available through trained MNsure navigators, who are ready to assist in multiple languages.” Find a navigator near you at mnsure.org/free-help.

News release: mn.gov/dhs/media/news/index.jsp?id=1053-585673

Hello, my name is Wendy Vang. I am a registered nurse by background. I chose this field because I’ve always been passionate about helping others. Seeing my parents' struggles as immigrants gave me perspective on how strong self-preservation can be and that we are all connected in one way or another. The outreach I perform is highly fulfilling, and I plan to continue this vital work as long as possible.

I am a Health Improvement Specialist. I reach out to our Hmong community members to help educate and schedule preventative health screenings and check in with the members to assist with any other social determinants of health. I recognize that our Hmong members may need help navigating the health system as it can be very complex and confusing, sometimes a deterrent to some. A holistic approach leads to better health outcomes; looking at the bigger picture can help you understand their barriers and obstacles.

My members are the best; they are receptive and kind. I’ve been working with one member in particular; she lives alone and is also an older adult. We’ve been in contact for over a year, and she will call me when she needs help scheduling any medical appointment and transportation. Her family lives out of state, and it has been tough on her; she always expresses her gratitude and has even stated I am like her daughter. It’s these kinds of moments where I really appreciate the work I do.

"Losing Medicaid would be considered a "qualifying life event" to receive employer-sponsored coverage, health plans say, so workers would have 60 days to enroll with their company's plan to avoid a gap in coverage."

Thank you to Christopher Snowbeck and the Star Tribune for sharing this important work to educate all key stakeholders on how they can help ensure no Minnesotan faces an avoidable gap in coverage through .

Read the story here:

Medicaid shift could push 200,000 Minnesotans to employer health plans As Aug. 1 re-enrollment approaches, the state's health agency is trying to educate and highlight required steps so people don't lose health coverage.

After a 3-year pause, the Department of Human Services has restarted annual eligibility renewals for Medical Assistance (MA) & MinnesotaCare (MNCare). When your renewal occurs, you may find out you are no longer eligible for MA or MNCare coverage.
If you lose your public health care coverage, you may be eligible to buy private health insurance — and get financial help to lower the cost — through MNsure.

Minnesota is extending the deadline to renew Medical Assistance for 35,500 people whose renewal paperwork is overdue for July 1 coverage.

But people should still send in their renewal form and any required documentation as soon as possible to avoid gaps in their health insurance.

The state is working with the federal government to avoid ending Medical Assistance coverage for people who may still qualify, but face barriers such as not receiving the form in the mail.

News release: mn.gov/dhs/media/news/index.jsp?id=1053-583117

Enrollees can get more information about Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare renewals, including a renewal month lookup tool, at mn.gov/dhs/renewmycoverage.

Minnesotans with Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare can now look up the month they can expect their health insurance renewal forms to arrive in the mail. People can look up their renewal month at https://mn.gov/dhs/renewmycoverage/

As the state begins the process of redetermining eligibility for more than 1.5 million Minnesotans enrolled in the state’s health care programs, Medicaid (Medical Assistance) and MinnesotaCare, everyone has a role to play in the effort to help individuals and families renew their health insurance and ensure they continue to have timely access to care.

To support key stakeholders like providers, employers, and community-based organizations in the monumental effort to make sure Minnesotans keep their coverage during this process, the Council developed educational tools with information and resources to answer common questions and support for those needing to complete a renewal, re-enroll, or find new coverage.

Share these tools widely to help get the word out and support Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare enrollees in renewing their coverage or transitioning to other forms of health insurance: https://mnhealthplans.org/resources/medicaidunwinding/

Medicaid Unwinding Resources Keeping Minnesotans Covered- Resources to help renew Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare or transition to new coverage

VIDEO: Minnesota's Managed Care Organizations improving health with care coordination Minnesota’s nonprofit managed care organizations address the social drivers of health and provide personalized, responsive care, to improve the health and wellbeing of Minnesotans and ensure everyone in the state has access to the affordable, equitable and quality-based care they need today and in...

📣 Check out the new one-stop shop for info on how Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare enrollees can keep their insurance at renewal time: mn.gov/dhs/renewmycoverage.

Hi, my name is Pahoua Her. I am a Health Improvement Specialist here at UCare. By highlighting the value of preventative care to our members and guiding them toward the resources they require, I am honored to have a positive impact on their lives. If a member needs additional help, they can always reach out. I reached out a month ago to a member about her gaps, and she called me maybe three weeks after needing help to connect with Hennepin County regarding her SNAP benefits. I felt this interaction was a positive story to share that we built some trust there that I will help follow through with members’ concerns.

I’m a summer baby and a lover of traveling to beach destinations. I’m learning how to garden at the moment. I love a good stand-up comedy; I enjoy traveling, playing tennis, and painting.

Minnesota’s nonprofit managed care organizations (MCOs) provide care coordination as a unique benefit for members who are covered by state programs, like Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare. Through care coordination, members receive highly individualized, holistic care to support their health and wellbeing.

Check out our blog to learn more about how care coordination is enhancing the patient experience, reducing the cost of care, and improving the health of communities throughout Minnesota.

https://mnhealthplans.org/how-coordinated-care-is-improving-outcomes-in-minnesotas-health-care-programs/

How coordinated care is improving outcomes in Minnesota’s health care programs Minnesota’s nonprofit managed care organizations (MCOs) provide care coordination as a unique benefit for members who are covered by state programs, like Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare. Through care coordination, members receive highly individualized, holistic care to support their health an...

Recent reports show that childhood vaccination rates have fallen since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The rates are especially low for Minnesota’s two-year-olds, making them more vulnerable to outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, polio, whooping cough, and the flu.

For , we are encouraging families to get back into their provider for routine check-ups and immunizations as an important way to promote a healthy start for Minnesota children.

Through a recent collaborative project, the Minnesota Council of Health Plans and several health plans developed educational materials for families to provide information on the importance of making sure children are up-to-date on immunizations. The materials are available in English, Spanish, Hmong & Somali and in audio format in each language.

Check them out here:

A reminder from your healthcare provider: come back to get caught up Three years after COVID-19 postponed thousands of well-child visits, it’s important to catch up on immunizations*   *Read or listen to this blog in other languagues: » In Somali (Af Soomaali) » In Hmong (Lus Hmoob) » In Spanish (Español) Listen to this blog Remember when COVID-19 forced schoo...

With the upcoming sunset of temporary policies meant to support people during the federal public health emergency, 1.5M Minnesotans will need to go through an eligibility review to maintain coverage in the state’s public programs, Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare.

This process, called “Redetermination” means the state will have a one-year timeframe to review the eligibility of each of these Minnesotans.

Check out our latest blog to learn about our collaborative, equity-focused work to support Minnesotans to make sure no one faces an avoidable gap in coverage.

Keeping Minnesotans Covered as Renewals Return for Medicaid and MinnesotaCare With the March 31 sunset of the federal continuous coverage mandate, 1.5M Minnesotans will need to go through an eligibility review to maintain coverage in the state's public programs. Here is what Minnesotans need to know.

The origins of Blue Cross in Minnesota A story 90 years in the making

Importance of learning CPR February is Heart Month. Lori Visker, from Sanford Health, joined Dakota News Now on Tuesday morning to talk about the importance of knowing CPR.

Sharon Brown began her career in health care at age 14.

Since then, she says, she never wanted to do anything different.

From her early days in front-line clinic operations at Regions Hospital, to her current role as supervisor of business systems at our Midway Clinic and Center for International Health, Sharon's professional journey and personal experiences as a Black woman and three-time cancer survivor have fueled her passion to make a difference in improving health for Black and African Americans.

“People of color like to see a representative of who they are," she says. "I like to let them know I’ve been through this, and I work at a great organization that can support them and be a partner for their journey.”

Every day she's building a culture of inclusion and trust. And not just within our halls and walls.

Sharon represents HealthPartners on the American Red Cross Sickle Cell and Diverse Blood Planning Coalition, working to diversify the blood supply.

She also served for 10 years on the planning committee for the Midway Peace Park. What was once a vacant lot is now a three-acre park adjacent to the Midway Clinic and Center for International Health, complete with a play area, walking loop, mosaic art and other features.

She’s an inspiration to a younger generation too.

Her three children are following in their mom’s footsteps with careers in health care: Her eldest son is a financial assistant at HealthPartners, her middle son worked previously as a clinic assistant at HealthPartners, and her daughter is a senior at Metro State University obtaining her biology degree to work in research and laboratory science field.

Sharon is a partner for good – and a light for others as they navigate their journey.

Sanford AirMed Celebrates 10 Years of Service in Northern Minnesota Sanford Health celebrated 10 years of air service Tuesday near their facility in Bemidji. Through the use of AirMed services, hospitals in northern Minnesota like Sanford are able to provide care t…

Hilary Marden-Resnik | Twin Cities Business President/CEO, UCare