Minnesota’s Uninsured Rate at Record Low

St. Paul, MN (KROC-AM News) - The Minnesota Department of Health says the state’s uninsured rate fell to a record low last year.

It’s estimated that only 4.3-percent of Minnesotans lacked health insurance coverage in 2015. That’s down from 8.2-percent in 2013. The report credits health care reform efforts, including the federal Affordable Care Act, and an improved economy for the reduction in the number of uninsured Minnesotans.

Officials estimate that over 200,000 Minnesotans, including 35,000 children gained health insurance coverage between 2013 and 2015. During the same time, but had been a decade-long decline in the rate of Minnesotans receiving health insurance coverage through an employer was halted. That rate remained steady, while the percent of Minnesotans purchasing coverage on their own rose slightly. Approximately 10-percent of Minnesotans reported obtaining coverage through MNsure.

The report was based on data gathered by the health department and the University of Minnesota in a survey of around 11,000 people.