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State officials say over 100-thousand Minnesotans have purchased health insurance through the MNsure exchange so far this enrollment period, with over 50-thousand families set to receive an average tax credit of more than 72-hundred dollars. MNsure C-E-O Allison O’Toole says, “For thousands of Minnesotans, those tax credits can bridge the difference between unaffordable and affordable, unhealthy and healthy. And despite that, too many Minnesotans are still not taking advantage of them.”
Tax credits are even higher in southwest and southeast Minnesota, averaging over 11-thousand dollars, and O’Toole says the only place people can get them is through MNsure. Open enrollment runs through January 14th.
O’Toole says what’s happening on health care in Washington D-C doesn’t prevent people from buying coverage through MNsure. “Those tax credits are in place for 2018,” she says. “Any of the changes we’re hearing out of Washington don’t go into effect for a couple of years, so those tax credits are in place. Minnesotans should take advantage of them.”
More in this excerpt from Wednesday’s news conference (Gov. Mark Dayton first, then O’Toole)