Opinion: Federal budget reconciliation bill threatens MNsure access

Don’t undo a decade of progress on health coverage.

May 27, 2025 at 10:29PM
The federal reconciliation bill "would have devastating consequences for tens of thousands of Minnesotans who use MNsure to access coverage," Libby Caulum writes. (iStock)

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For more than a decade, MNsure has been the gateway to health coverage for hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans — working parents, farmers, small-business owners, early retirees. We serve the people who don’t get health insurance through their jobs but still need affordable, high-quality coverage.

The federal reconciliation bill passed by the U.S. House and now headed to the Senate threatens all of that. Yet many people are completely unaware it would have devastating consequences for tens of thousands of Minnesotans who use MNsure to access coverage.

This legislation would pull the rug out from under 140,000 Minnesotans who count on MNsure for the security of health insurance. It would shorten the window to enroll, eliminate auto-renewals that keep people covered year to year, and create excessive red tape by requiring Minnesotans to manually verify information the state already has. Worse still, it would block access to financial help for lawfully present immigrants and allow key affordability provisions — like enhanced premium tax credits — to expire.

If the tax credits in place today are rolled back, more than 19,000 Minnesotans will lose access to all financial help. Nearly 90,000 Minnesotans will see higher costs in 2026, with their net monthly premiums increasing by 54% on average.

These may sound like technical changes, but they’re anything but. They would mean real people — our neighbors, our coworkers — will face barriers that keep them from accessing the health care they need.

If Congress approves these changes, we estimate that over 62,000 Minnesotans could lose their private health plan coverage in the coming years as these provisions go into effect — as many as 45% of our enrollees.

As a state-based health insurance marketplace, MNsure has brought local expertise and trusted community partnerships to the table. We’ve helped more than a million Minnesotans enroll in coverage since 2013. But this bill punishes states for doing things well. It creates new barriers, adds cost and undermines the very tools we use to help people stay insured.

Health coverage isn’t just a policy issue — it’s a matter of economic security, peace of mind and basic dignity. Stripping that away from thousands of Minnesotans is the wrong direction.

I urge our leaders in Washington to listen to the voices of the people we serve. Don’t undo the progress we’ve made. Let us keep doing what we do best: helping Minnesotans access the care they need to live full, healthy lives.

Libby Caulum is CEO of MNsure, the health insurance marketplace for Minnesota.

about the writer

about the writer

Libby Caulum

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