Governor Mark Dayton today signed an agreement with the federal government on the state’s reinsurance program, which officials estimate will keep health insurance premiums roughly level in 2018 for those buying through MNsure or elsewhere on the individual market. Jim Schowalter with the Minnesota Council of Health Plans says, “We were all concerned that we could see another year of increased premiums. Without the reinsurance that the governor signed today, we would have expected rates to be about 20 percent higher.”
Still at issue are the federal government’s proposed cuts to funding for MinnesotaCare, the state-run program for low income residents. Dayton contends by signing the reinsurance agreement he is *not* waiving his right to fight those planned reductions and will continue doing so.