We reached a milestone in health care. Just three years ago health coverage was nearly lost for the poorest Minnesotans when GAMC was nearly eliminated. Today, Minnesota is the only state to fully embrace the Affordable Care Act by:
1) Expanding Medicaid to cover single adults in poverty
2) Building MNSure, the online health insurance marketplace
3) Preserving a state-subsidized plan through MinnesotaCare, to ensure an affordable public insurance option
Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless member organizations and low-income community members have been central in the health care debate. In 2009, health care for 80,000 of Minnesota’s poorest residents was compromised when the General Assistance Medical Care program was line-item vetoed.
While Minnesotans banded together for the Save GAMC campaign in 2010, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) passed in Washington. The new federal law made it possible for Minnesota to opt-in to Medicaid expansion, allowing extremely poor adults without children to access health coverage. In January 2011, Minnesota became one of the first states to adopt the benefits of the ACA, choosing to cover the poor and homeless.
By preserving MinnesotaCare, the state health insurance option for low-income and working Minnesotans, Minnesota is also choosing to ensure there’s an affordable public option for residents with limited means. Too many Minnesotans have lost their homes because of an untreated illness, disability, or bankruptcy from medical bills. We are proud to enter an era of better health care. Thank you for standing up for health care that promotes dignity and fairness.
Enrollment through MNSure opens October 1, 2013. Coverage begins January 1, 2014. Navigators will be sent throughout the state through local organizations to help hard to reach populations use MNSure. The Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless will be partnering with Health Access to help homeless and low-income community members sign up for health care using MNSure.