MNcare Helps MN Work – #1 in a Series: Spotlight on Women

Did you know that 54% of MinnesotaCare enrollees are women? Here are some of their stories.

MinnesotaCare Covers Mental Health

Katie Moore of Owatonna was working full-time, but her employer-based insurance was just not affordable when making $12.75/hour. Katie has needed mental health treatment ever since she lost her boyfriend in a car accident four years ago, but her employer-based insurance did not cover mental health. She was unable to see a counselor, and her anti-depression medication was costing her $120/month. Thanks to help from a Navigator, Katie confirmed that her coverage did not meet minimum value standards, so she was able to enroll in MinnesotaCare. Now, MinnesotaCare fully covers her counseling appointments and anti-depression medications.

Katie recently found out she is pregnant. She is also changing jobs and will now make $9.50/hour. So, Katie is making the transition to Medical Assistance as a pregnant woman. Katie is so grateful to have had MinnesotaCare to cover her initial prenatal care, and is happy with the smooth transition to the new program. Once her baby is born, Katie is relieved to know MinnesotaCare will still be there for her. Because she is getting affordable, quality coverage, Katie is able to do a job she loves, become a mom, and pay off her student debt from her social work degree.

MinnesotaCare Covers Folks Between Jobs

Julie of Brooklyn Center lost her job in December, and with it her health care coverage. New management moved in and made substantial changes at her company. Even though Julie has worked 20 years in her field, she doesn’t have a degree in the field, so finding a new job has been tough. Being unemployed, she knew she couldn’t afford the Cobra payment of $450/month, so she decided to check out MNsure. With the help of a Navigator, Julie was grateful to find out she qualifies for MinnesotaCare. As she looks for a new job, Julie is relieved she doesn’t have to worry about going without medications and check-ups thanks to her MinnesotaCare coverage.

MinnesotaCare Means Affordable Coverage for Self-Employed

When Ruth Fen of Minneapolis, a self-employed graphic designer, got divorced 15 years ago, she continued to get health care coverage through her ex-husband’s employer. Because of a past cancer, Ruth has to get annual CT scans. Last year, when she went in for her scan, she was informed she was no longer covered by her ex-husband’s insurance. By the time she got her coverage sorted out, a growth had developed that needed to be surgically removed. When Ruth scheduled the surgery, she again found out she was uninsured. She panicked, and fought with her insurance provider to be allowed to pay out-of-pocket to keep her coverage. However, she ended up paying an unaffordable premium of $350/month.

With the help of a Navigator, Ruth enrolled through MNsure and found out that she qualifies for MinnesotaCare. Ruth had never heard of MinnesotaCare before, much less thought she might qualify for something so affordable. Thanks to MinnesotaCare, she now has consistent, affordable coverage that covers her annual CT scans and any related surgeries to make sure her cancer remains in the past.