MNsure's clumsy technology burden falls on county employees

In case you haven't heard, MNsure's computer system, "METS," is struggling.

Some might read this and quickly react with the opinion that Minnesota needs to eliminate MNsure. So let us be clear: We are not advocating that MNsure be scrapped, nor are we attempting to point blame at any one person or organization. Because of MNsure, Minnesota's uninsured rate has dropped to 4.3 percent, the lowest ever recorded. We embrace the aspirational goals of MNsure.

After three years of attempted fixes, temporary "solutions" and a continued difficulty in helping people navigate the computer system, we cannot remain quiet any longer. We're still waiting for the computer system we hoped for — an effective system that automates most routine work and facilitates workers' ability to respond to residents' needs. As representatives of all 87 counties in the state, we must speak up and voice the frustrations of Minnesotans who are desperately searching for help and the county workers who have extreme challenges doing their jobs.

As county social-service administrators, we work each day to ensure that Minnesotans are able to live safe, healthy and independent lives and to support themselves and their families. Our employees are dedicated professionals who do this work because they care about helping people. But adding "MNsure troubleshooter" to their job responsibilities has overwhelmed county employees around the state, and morale is at an all-time low. They deserve better, and all Minnesotans deserve better.

The truth is that people around our state — average, hardworking Minnesotans — are too often forced to make an unconscionable choice: Do I put my health at risk and wait days, weeks or months to find out if I have coverage? Or do I take the gamble, get the treatment I need and risk putting myself in major debt?

Imagine that you are a county employee and one day a man comes in with a bandaged hand trying to understand his health coverage. You work for hours trying to help him, but MNsure's technology isn't functioning properly. Later, you find out that one of his fingers has been severed — but the possible financial implications of going to the hospital terrify him so much that he would rather wait in your lobby. We refuse to believe that any Minnesotan should have to make a choice like this. But, unfortunately, this is a true story.

We also refuse to accept the fact that county workers have to bear the responsibility of telling suffering people that we don't know and can't find out if they have the health coverage they need — because the current system isn't always accurate.

Soon, the workload will grow even more: A program passed by the Legislature called "periodic data matching" — essentially adding another check of federal databases as a way of ensuring additional program integrity and eligibility — is scheduled to begin this summer. Without substantial improvements in the system, this new program will not come close to producing its intended cost savings and will overwhelm our already-strained capacity to help people at the local level.

We recognize that there is likely no silver bullet to fixing the myriad problems. It is a complex system, and the state is working on incremental improvements. However, postponing the periodic data matching program by at least one year and providing more resources for counties to manage the increasing demand would help immensely. We urge lawmakers to consider these measures this session.

The next time you hear about MNsure, think about the additional people who now have health care coverage, but also think about the county worker struggling to provide answers to the frustrated citizen on the other side of the counter who is trying to figure out if they have coverage. Then, multiply that picture at least 87 times, because these problems exist in every county in Minnesota.

With all of the efforts to date, real people are still falling in the cracks. There is no higher priority than solving problems for these people.