HF779 Summary

• Amends Minnesota health insurance law to conform state requirements to the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA), including provisions on dependent coverage, preexisting condition limitations, preventive care, and lifetime/annual limits on essential health benefits.

• Establishes dependent child coverage up to age 26 and eliminates preexisting condition exclusions for individuals under 19 years old, with full elimination of such exclusions for all ages beginning January 1, 2014.

• Creates new "Minnesota Health Plan Market Rules" (Chapter 62K) applicable to individual and small group health plans, including requirements for accreditation, provider network adequacy, geographic accessibility, quality assurance, and service area coverage.

• Requires health carriers to offer plans at multiple actuarial value levels (bronze, silver, gold, platinum), prohibits balance billing by network providers, mandates disclosure of benefits and coverage information, and establishes marketing standards to prevent discrimination against individuals with health needs.

• Implements ACA compliance requirements including guaranteed issue coverage, prohibition on rescissions except for fraud, coverage for clinical trials, preventive services without cost-sharing, and mental health parity requirements.