Minnesota Health Benefits Act Summary

• Establishes the Minnesota Health Benefits Exchange as an independent public entity to operate a consumer-friendly marketplace for health insurance, facilitate enrollment in certified health plans, and administer financial assistance to eligible individuals.

• Creates a 19-member board of directors appointed by the governor, legislature, and state commissioners (Commerce, Health, Human Services) to govern the exchange, with requirements that board members have no affiliations with the health insurance industry and reflect diversity of ethnicity, geography, and gender.

• Requires the exchange to certify qualified health plans, negotiate with insurers for optimal pricing and quality, maintain a website with comparative plan information, and establish a "no-wrong-door policy" providing multiple entry points and screening for all available public and private coverage options.

• Mandates the exchange screen applicants for eligibility and enroll qualified individuals in Medicaid, CHIP, and other state public programs, and allows persons to appeal eligibility or subsidy determinations through fair hearings.

• Effective upon enactment for preparation purposes, with health coverage not permitted to be effective before January 1, 2014; requires progress report to legislature by March 15, 2013, and annual reports thereafter.