ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Senate passed Senate File 1 (House File 5), which establishes Minnesota’s Health Insurance Marketplace under the federal Affordable Care Act, on a 37-28 vote late this evening. The proposal is expected to be referred to a Senate-House conference committee and would still face a final vote by the legislature before being sent to the Governor’s desk. If Minnesota fails to ratify a state-based health insurance exchange by March 31, residents will be left with a one-size-fits-all federal exchange as of January 1, 2014.
Chief author and Senate Health & Human Services Budget Division Chair Tony Lourey (DFL-Kerrick) released the following statement:
“After 12 hours of robust debate, the Minnesota Senate took a historic step today toward accomplishing honest health care reform by voting to create a Minnesota-based health insurance exchange. We all share the priority of building a Minnesota-based exchange that works for individual consumers, families, small businesses, and the health care industry as a whole. Tonight we made significant progress toward that goal.”
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