MNsure Crucial For MN Cancer Survivor Who's Had 35 Surgeries
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- It's day two for the roll-out of MNsure, but some who are shopping online for health insurance plans said they are running into technical glitches and delays.
MNsure officials said the system is running smoothly, after a bumpy start Tuesday when it launched -- so far about 2,500 accounts have been created.
The goal is to help the nearly 500,000 uninsured Minnesota residents get coverage.
Under the new law, health insurance companies can no longer deny coverage to someone with a pre-existing medical condition.
Tess Lilly, of Minnetrista, is self-employed, but has a long list of pre-existing medical conditions. She's been searching for a plan for her whole family within MNsure.
"I had a difficult pregnancy with the second child and had a heart attack at 35 weeks pregnant," she said. "After that I was diagnosed with bladder cancer, which is what my father has ... And then got kidney stones, kidney disease. So it's just been in the last few years, but a lot of surgeries."
Tess Lilly's most recent surgeries were hip replacements because of arthritis -- that's why she's on crutches right now. She has had a total of 35 surgeries in the last eight years.
Tess and her husband are self-employed. Her husband has health insurance, but it only covers him and their two kids.
She's excluded because of her conditions.
"So before we even get a bill paid, we are easily thousands of dollars out of pocket," she said.
That's why she's devoted so much time researching MNsure trying to enroll.
Tuesday's technical glitches prevented her from completing the process, but she's back at it.
"It will cut our premiums down almost in half," she said.
