MINNEAPOLIS — It's that time of year when Americans sign up for health coverage, through their employers or in the individual market. If you're buying medical insurance on your own it's a good idea to check out the MNsure health exchange to see if you qualify for discounts available through the Affordable Care Act.
"As of today, the ACA is the law of the land, so our assumption is all consumers who want to be covered should come through open enrollment," MNsure CEO Nate Clark told reporters in an online press briefing Tuesday.
"MNsure is the only place Minnesotans can access federal tax credits that help lower the cost of health insurance. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us it’s never been more important for Minnesotans to have the security of comprehensive health insurance."
Clark spoke to reporters on the same the US Supreme Court that heard the Texas vs California case, which is designed to scrap the ACA. The Trump Administration and attorneys general of thirteen Republican states side with Texas on the case.
"Minnesotans should not let this court case prevent them from signing up for comprehensive health care coverage. We’re open for business and we’re here to help Minnesotans access coverage at this crucial time."
Consumers can learn more on MNsure's website, and also request free personalized help navigating the process. Enrollment for the 2021 plan year is open through Dec. 22.
For the 2020 plan year 175,000 Minnesotans were able to get health care through MNsure. Of the group 117,000 customers bought private insurance plans through the MNsure exchange. More than half of them qualified for discounts on their premiums in the form of federal tax credits built into the price.
The question before the Supreme Court is pretty simple: can the individual mandate cease to exist while the rest of the ACA remains standing?
The tax overhaul Congress passed in 2017 removed the penalty for people who don't comply with the ACA's mandate to buy health insurance or find coverage through government-subsidized plans.
The state of Texas asserts the law was previously judged to be constitutional because it was considered to be a form of taxation. So, the argument goes, when the tax was removed, the ACA lost the one element that allowed it to pass constitutional muster.
During Tuesday's oral arguments even conservative judges appeared to question that theory pressed by Texas and the Trump Administration.
"I think it’s hard for you to argue that Congress intended the entire act to fall when the mandate was struck down, when the same Congress that lowered the penalty to zero did not even try to repeal the rest of the act," Chief Justice John Roberts said at one point.
"I think, frankly, they wanted the Court to do that. But that’s not our job."
Justice Brett Kavanaugh said the High Court has set precedents that support severability, the notion that part of a law can be struck down while the rest of it remains in place.