Minnesota Approves Additional Federal Funds For Its New Health Exchange
The state is seeking another $40 million for operation costs. Meanwhile, in Illinois, the Quinn administration filed plans to award the contract to build the state's online insurance marketplace.
MPR News: Minn. Seeking Another $40M For MNsure
Minnesota will seek another $40 million in federal money to operate the new online insurance marketplace, MNsure in 2014. The state's received about $110 million in federal funds so far to design, plan and hire staff for MNsure, which is expected to serve as an online gateway to health coverage for more than a million Minnesotans (Stawicki, 7/22).
Crain's Chicago Business: Quinn Taps Canadian IT Firm To Build Health Insurance Exchange
The Quinn administration has filed plans to award a $66.5 million contract to build the state's online health insurance exchange to CGI Technologies and Solutions Inc., apparently beating out four other bidders. The federal government will initially set up the online exchange for Illinois, where an estimated 486,000 individuals and small businesses are expected to compare and buy health plans in its first year. Enrollment begins Oct. 1, for coverage mandated under the Affordable Care Act to begin Jan. 1. CGI, a Montreal-based IT firm, will help conduct preliminary work for the exchange and provide IT services to the Illinois Department of Insurance, but the bulk of the company's work would come in 2015 if the state Legislature approves a law to create a state-based exchange (Schorsch, 7/22).