I applied at MNSure on the 19th for the Obamacare subsidy and gave them the details of my projected income, nearly 300% of the poverty guideline. It told me right away that I was qualified for $91/month of premium tax credit subsidy, as I expected based on the Kaiser Family Health subsidy calculator.
Well, today, the 29th, I got a snail mail letter saying I'm enrolled (effective May 1) in Prepaid Medical Assistance Program (PMAP) -- Minnesota's version of Medicaid! Not what I expected, I thought that was for people 138% of the poverty guideline and below.
So I called the number on the letter, and she said, no, at my income, I'm not qualified for PMAP. She talked to her supervisor and then said she would put in a work order to have someone review it.
I asked if I would have any problem enrolling in regular Obamacare through MNSURE, and she said she wasn't sure if MNSure would block me or not from enrolling given that (for now) I'm being enrolled in PMAP. But to wait to hear from us.
Well, I plan to go ahead and see if I can't enroll in a regular MNSure private insurance choice tomorrow given that the (nominal) deadline is Monday.
I wonder though if this is a common problem.
MNsure on the verge of enrollment milestone, Star Tribune, 3/22/14
http://www.startribune.com/local/251729731.html
Minnesota’s health insurance exchange is on the verge of reaching its goal to sign up 135,000 people by March 31. More than 1,000 Minnesotans are enrolling daily as MNsure enters the final days.
Enrollment in government programs for those with low incomes has been particularly strong, offsetting figures for commercial health plans that are much lower than expected.
... In Minnesota, the mix of plans sold through the exchange has been much different from expected.
About half as many Minnesotans as first projected in October have bought private coverage through MNsure, and interest from small businesses has been nominal. Eventually, it will be important to sell more commercial plans, because a key funding source for MNsure is a fee insurers pay based on premiums for private insurance.
More than five times more Minnesotans than projected have gained health coverage under Medical Assistance, the state’s version of Medicaid for the poor. Public health leaders see this as an encouraging sign, as 60 percent of the uninsured are eligible for one of the state’s public programs but haven’t signed up.
Do they have a glitch that is enrolling too many people in Medicaid or other low income programs? Hard to believe at this late date.
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