MN prepares for benefits exchange, considers public-private governing body

In anticipation of the state's first nationwide health insurance exchange, Minnesota officials are submitting plans to the federal government Friday, which is the deadline for states that expect to run an exchange to file their blueprints.

Portions of Minnesota's submission have already been posted online. These documents explain the state's intended certification process for participating plans, the IT system necessary for the exchange and job descriptions of people who will manage it, according to the Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal. The state's plan also includes a proposal for a public-private partnership to oversee the online exchange.

By teaming up public and private officials to manage the oversight of the state's exchange, Minnesota hopes to take advantage of the private sector's expertise while allowing public health care programs to be included in the process.

Minnesota is ahead of most states in setting up an insurance exchange, according the Duluth News Tribune.

"I would put Minnesota as being very progressive and in front of the general population of states," Dan Maynard, president of online health insurance software maker Connecture,told the newspaper. "I put [Minnesota] in a group of a half-dozen or so [states] that are on some form of time schedule that’s capable of making the timeline."