STATE OF MINNESOTA

Office of Governor Mark Dayton

116 Veterans Service Building 20 West 12th Street Saint Paul, MN 55155
July 22, 2014
Senator Tony Lourey
Co-Chair
MNsure Oversight Committee
Room G-12, State Capitol Building
St. Paul, Minnesota 55155
Senator Michelle Benson
MNsure Oversight Committee Member
Room 115, State Office Building
St. Paul, Minnesota 55155
Senator Sean Nienow
MNsure Oversight Committee
Room 105, State Office Building
St. Paul, Minnesota 55155
Representative Joe Hoppe
MNsure Oversight Committee
Room 343, State Office Building
St. Paul, Minnesota 55155
Representative Diane Loeffler
MNsure Oversight Committee
Room 503, State Office Building
St. Paul, Minnesota 55155
Dear Committee Members:
Representative Joe Atkins
Co-Chair
MNsure Oversight Committee
Room 583, State Office Building
St. Paul, Minnesota 55155
Senator Jeff Hayden
MNsure Oversight Committee Member
Room 208, State Capitol Building
St. Paul, Minnesota 55155
Senator Kathy Sheran
MNsure Oversight Committee
Room G-12, State Capitol Building
St. Paul, Minnesota 55155
Representative Tom Huntley
MNsure Oversight Committee
Room 585, State Office Building
St. Paul, Minnesota 55155
Representative Tara Mack
MNsure Oversight Committee
Room 345, State Office Building
St. Paul, Minnesota 55155
Considerable interest has been expressed in the release date for 2015 health insurance
rates. According to Minnesota Statutes section 60A.08, subd.15 (b) regarding the classification
of insurance filings, "All forms, rates, and related information filed with the commissioner under
section 62A.02 shall be nonpublic data until the filing becomes effective." Last year, the
effective date was the first day of Open Enrollment, which this year falls on November 15 th .
However, under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, Minnesota Statutes
chapter 13, nonpublic data can be released to the subject of the data at their request or with the
subject's consent. Last year, the Minnesota Department of Commerce secured written consent
from each of the participating health plans to waive the effective date to release summary rate
information before the beginning of the Open Enrollment period.
Voice: (651) 201-3400 or (800) 657-3717 Fax: (651) 797-1850 MN Relay (800) 627-3529
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MNsure Oversight Committee
July 22, 2014
Page 2
I have asked Commerce Commissioner Mike Rothman to make that request again this
year. If all of the plans agree, the rate information will be made public around October 1, 2014
45 days before open enrollment begins. Last year, this same information was made public 25
days before Open Enrollment began.
Making the rate information public before Open Enrollment begins would provide
families and businesses additional time and information to help them make informed decisions
regarding their health coverage options in 2015.
However, there are other important steps, which must be completed before that release
will be requested.
Commissioner Rothman has just received the initially proposed rates from the health
insurance plans. That receipt begins a formal review process between the Department and each
of the plans, which in the past has taken several weeks. All of those reviews must be completed,
and the final rates for 2015 approved, before the process can proceed further.
After the final rates have been set, the Commerce Department compiles all of the relevant
information. Then it must request and receive consent from the health plans to transmit that non-
public data to MNsure in advance of the Open Enrollment period. After that transfer has been
completed, Commerce must re-aggregate the data to fit the format used in last year's public
release.
Again, it is anticipated that all of these steps will take until about October 1S t to complete.
However, I want to reiterate that this timetable would change, if unforeseen complications
develop. In particular, the primary objective of the Commissioner of Commerce is, and should
be, to review the proposed health insurance rates and act to ensure Minnesotans continue to
benefit from the lowest possible rates with each of the plans. The time estimate for this stage of
the process arises from last year's experience; however, there can be no guarantee that the same
timetable will apply this year.
cc: Representative Paul Thissen, Speaker of the House
Senator Thomas Bakk, Senate Majority Leader
Senator Katie Sieben, Assistant Majority Leader
Representative Erin Murphy, House Majority Leader