Minnesotans are the beneficiaries of timely teamwork by MNsure and the state's major health insurers, which sell policies both on and off the new health insurance marketplace.

Thanks to this consumer-friendly collaboration, Minnesotans who purchase individual health insurance plans now have until noon on Dec. 31 to buy coverage that begins on New Year's Day — no matter if they buy through MNsure or directly from the state's leading health plans. The original deadline for coverage kicking in the first day of 2015 had been Dec. 15.

News of the extended MNsure deadline came on the heels of a recent announcement by key health insurers that they would extend the deadline for consumers buying directly from them to Dec. 31.

It's sensible in the midst of unfolding health reforms to have the same deadline no matter if individual consumers are buying their policies on the MNsure exchange or off it. That's why a Dec. 17 editorial called for MNsure to match the insurers' later deadline and for the state's insurers to help MNsure pull this off. Credit is due both for making it happen.

The move adds to the workload of already-weary staff at MNsure and Minnesota insurers in the midst of the always-hectic open-enrollment season. It also will require patience from consumers, who may not get their insurance cards right away if they wait much longer to pick a plan beginning on New Year's Day.

Still, this year-end push serves the state well by aiding consumers who don't get coverage through their employers or through Medicare, the popular health plan for seniors run by the federal government.

The Affordable Care Act mandates coverage but also helps individual policy-buyers by providing new kinds of financial assistance to help pay for monthly premiums and cost-sharing, such as annual deductibles.

The extension to the last day of the year gives consumers who want coverage on the first day of 2015 — many often prefer coverage mirroring the year's bookends — the maximum amount of time to comparison-shop and understand the financial assistance for which they may be eligible. (Coverage that begins after Jan. 1 can still be purchased on MNsure through Feb. 15.)

The new tax credits and cost-sharing aid are available only through MNsure. Had MNsure not matched the deadline for plans sold directly from insurers, procrastinators could have missed out on assistance critical for making coverage affordable. They also would have missed shopping for plans from UCare, which aggressively priced its individual health coverage plans but is selling them only on MNsure.

Minnesota is one of just a handful of states with its own exchange to push the deadline to the end of the year for coverage beginning Jan. 1. Those elsewhere who are relying on healthcare.gov were not given an extended deadline.

The flexibility shown by the state's health care leaders merits extra celebration this holiday season. Minnesotans should take advantage by signing up for coverage.