Local MNsure-certified specialists available for free, in-person enrollment assistance
Crookston, Minn. — The deadline to sign up for health insurance coverage for 2016 is rapidly approaching. Here in Polk, Norman and Marshall counties, Tri-Valley Opportunity Council, Inc. is offering free, in-person assistance.
Minnesotans looking to enroll in private health insurance coverage, or change their plan, have until Sunday, January 31, 2016, to enroll in health insurance coverage. Minnesotans eligible for Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare can enroll year round.
MNsure is the only place to qualify for financial assistance to help make premiums more affordable. If assistance is needed in completing the enrollment process, help is available through MNsure-certified assisters – navigators and brokers located in communities around the state.
If Minnesotans who don’t qualify for an exemption go without insurance coverage in 2016, they will be subject to a tax penalty of 2.5% of taxable income or $695 per adult ($347.50 per child), whichever is greater.
To schedule an appointment for assistance with MNsure please call 1-800-584-7020 and ask for Nancy Ramon or Mitch Bakken.
Minnesotans interested in enrolling should bring the following materials to their appointment:
- Social Security Number for each person applying
- Date of birth for everyone in household (not just those applying)
- Driver’s license, Tribal ID or other ID
- For non-citizens, Green Card or other immigration documents
- Last year’s tax forms (1040EZ or page 1 of 1040)
- Most recent pay stubs
- Documents for other income sources (social security, unemployment, self-employment, etc.)
- W2 form or Employer Tax ID Number
- Employer’s address and contact information
- Information about any employer-provided health insurance available to each person applying (request this from the employer)
The 2016 open enrollment period began on November 1, 2015, and ends on January 31, 2016. Minnesotans eligible for Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare can enroll year round. As of May 2014, 95 percent of Minnesotans have health coverage—the highest percentage in state history.