Be fair; extend MNsure deadline

The recent move by three major Minnesota health insurers to extend the deadline for buying coverage beginning Jan. 1 isn't as consumer-friendly as it first appears.

It's human nature to put off a complex, often expensive purchase like health insurance until the last possible moment. But those who take advantage of the extra time newly provided by HealthPartners, Medica and Blue Cross Blue Shield — the plans pushed their deadline for direct purchases from Dec. 15 to Dec. 31 — could pay a high price for their procrastination.

The extra time is only for consumers buying coverage directly from the plans — not through the state's new MNsure marketplace. That's an important distinction, because the new financial assistance available through the Affordable Care Act to help pay monthly premiums or meet deductibles is only available through MNsure.

Those who miss MNsure's Dec. 20 deadline for coverage that begins on New Year's Day will forgo a chance to qualify for this aid. They'll also miss the chance to buy coverage from UCare, a Minnesota insurer that has aggressively priced its 2015 plans on MNsure.

UCare's plans offer some of the state's best values for those buying individual policies — generally those who don't get coverage through employers or government programs. These UCare policies are only available through MNsure.

The move by HealthPartners, Medica and Blue Cross is business-savvy. But the unaligned deadlines between plans sold by these insurers and the plans they sell on MNsure will create additional confusion in a marketplace in the midst of a dramatic but necessary transformation.

Buying health insurance is a complex transaction already, and the variable deadlines add to the complexity. Those consumers who need financial assistance will have 11 fewer days to shop and compare than those consumers with higher incomes, who may not be as price-conscious and will have more time if they want to buy directly from the plans.

Many PreferredOne customers are in the middle of assessing whether or not to continue with their coverage or shop elsewhere. They should have the same amount of time to shop on MNsure as they do with plans offered directly by insurers. PreferredOne's customers may also be more likely to need the financial assistance available only through MNsure.

MNsure officials merit praise for announcing on Monday that they were extending their deadline for Jan. 1 coverage to Dec. 20 in response to the insurers' move. The deadline had been Dec. 15.

But more work needs to be done. Quick cooperation is needed from the state's insurers and MNsure to ensure that all consumers have until Dec. 31 to buy coverage that begins on New Year's Day. (Open enrollment continues through Feb. 15 for coverage starting after Jan. 1.)

Minnesota insurers cited consumers' needs as the main reason for extending their deadline for plans directly sold by them. That praiseworthy focus on customer needs should extend to the plans they sell on MNsure.

Asked if they might be able to extend the deadline to Dec. 31 for MNsure customers, insurers contacted by an editorial writer said yes. But they also said MNsure needs to lead on this. MNsure officials should make that happen.