Proposed 2018 health insurance rate information released for MN

SAINT PAUL – Minnesotans can now see proposed 2018 rate information submitted by Minnesota insurers to the Minnesota Commerce Department for individual health insurance plans, including those that will be sold through MNsure.

All insurers that currently offer health plans in Minnesota’s individual market have filed rate proposals for 2018.

The insurers’ rate proposals, which are preliminary and must be reviewed by the Commerce Department, are available on the Commerce website (mn.gov/commerce). Also available are proposed 2018 rates for small group health plans that serve employers with 2-50 employees.

Final 2018 rates will be announced by October 2. The 2018 open enrollment period to buy health insurance begins on November 1 and is scheduled to continue through December 15.

The individual market rate proposals apply only to Minnesotans who directly purchase their own health insurance policies. Most Minnesotans receive coverage from employer-based insurance or public programs such as Medicare, Medical Assistance (Medicaid) and MinnesotaCare. 

As of April this year, about 166,000 Minnesotans have coverage through the individual market.

This year, for the first time, insurers were required to submit two sets of proposed rates: One set with, and one set without, a new state reinsurance program.

Earlier this year, Minnesota enacted a law to create the Minnesota Premium Security Plan. This reinsurance program is designed to help stabilize premiums in the state’s individual market, providing a financial backstop against especially high-cost claims.

Implementation of the reinsurance program is contingent on federal approval, which is pending. The state's application for what is known as a 1332 waiver application was submitted by the Commerce Department to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

“To date, we have received positive feedback from federal officials to get their approval for the reinsurance program,” said Commerce Commissioner Mike Rothman. “We are still waiting to receive that approval and hope federal authorities decide by the end of August in order to help finalize the lower rates with reinsurance for 2018.”

Despite uncertainties about potential Congressional action on health reform, the Commerce Department instructed insurers to prepare their rate proposals based on existing federal laws and regulations that currently apply for 2018.

On behalf of Minnesota consumers, the Commerce Department will conduct a rigorous, thorough rate review of each insurer’s rate proposal.

Rates must be justified both by the benefits that consumers receive for their premiums and by the insurance company’s ability to pay expected medical claims costs based on premium revenue.

Insurers must also comply with state and federal laws that protect consumers, including coverage for pre-existing conditions and free preventive care, the adequacy of the provider network and the procedures an individual must follow to enroll or have a claim paid.

As part of the rate review process, the Commerce Department is accepting public comments on the insurers’ 2018 rate proposals through August 31. Minnesotans can submit comments to healthinsurance.ratecomments@state.mn.us.

Board on Aging publishes guide to health care choices booklet for Medicare open enrollment

The Minnesota Board on Aging has just published its 2015 edition of Health Care Choices for Minnesotans on Medicare booklet. Now in its sixth edition, the annual guide contains comprehensive information about Medicare health care plan options in Minnesota.

“Health Care Choices is a useful resource for older adults and family members making decisions during the Medicare open enrollment, which runs Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, 2014,” said Jean Wood, executive director of the Minnesota Board on Aging. “After Dec. 7, a change can only be made in a few special circumstances so it is important to use this time to make the best decision possible.  Any changes made will take effect Jan. 1, 2015.”

Health Care Choices is available online, by calling the Senior LinkAge Line®: A One Stop Shop for Minnesota Seniors at 1-800-333-2433, or by visiting www.MinnesotaHelp.info® and using the chat live feature or leaving an email after business hours.

MDH launches new effort to improve HPV vaccination rates among state’s adolescents

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) today announced a new effort to increase coverage rates for the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine among adolescents in the state. The plan includes a public awareness campaign geared toward families of adolescents, a direct mailing with vaccination reminders and education opportunities for health care providers.

The effort was made possible by a $600,000 grant awarded to the department by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Following a competitive process, Minnesota was one of 7 states and 4 cities to be awarded the funds.

The primary purpose of the HPV vaccine is to prevent cancer. The vaccine protects against the strains of HPV that cause 70 percent of cervical cancer in women as well as several other types of cancers in men and women. The vaccine, given in a series of three shots, is recommended for adolescent girls and boys beginning at 11 years of age. It can be given at the same time as the vaccines that prevent whooping cough and meningococcal disease, as well as any other vaccines an adolescent may be due to receive.

Despite its cancer-fighting ability, the vaccine is greatly underused, health officials say. According to a 2012 survey, only 33.1 percent of young women in Minnesota had received the full three doses, mirroring the national rate of 33.4 percent, and slightly more than 59 percent of Minnesota girls had received the first dose. Among teen boys, to whom the recommendation was more recently expanded, first-dose vaccine coverage was only 20.8 percent.

"Taking into account cervical cancer alone, if we could vaccinate 80 percent of young women in the U.S. today, we could prevent 98,800 cases of cancer and 31,700 deaths, according to CDC estimates," said Kristen Ehresmann, director of infectious disease for MDH. "Our goal in Minnesota is to reach that 80 percent coverage level of three doses of HPV vaccine for females age 13 to 15 by 2020. We hope this grant will give us a big boost toward that goal."

Minnesota’s three-part strategy for using the grant includes the following:

• A public awareness campaign will use a variety of media and advertising vehicles to reach high-school and middle- school-age students and their families, including working with culturally and ethnically diverse media outlets to place ads and articles about HPV and other adolescent vaccines.
• In its postcard reminder project, MDH will send postcards to the families of all 11- and 12-year-olds in the state informing them of the importance of the adolescent vaccines and encouraging vaccination.
• For the health care community, MDH will offer a variety of in-person and online opportunities for providers to update their knowledge and skills regarding adolescent vaccination. Provider education is important, Ehresmann said, because studies consistently show that a strong recommendation from a provider is the single best predictor of vaccination and an important factor in a parent's decision to vaccinate their child.

The grant activities will complement the department’s efforts to inform parents and health care providers of new immunization requirements for school enrollment that take effect this fall, including Tdap and meningococcal vaccines for adolescents. While HPV is not included in the new requirements, MDH strongly recommends that adolescents receive all three vaccines at the same time. These activities also coincide with the Minnesota Cancer Alliance’s current initiative to promote HPV vaccine as a cancer prevention measure.

The HPV grant runs through Dec. 31, 2014.