Minnesota health insurance questions, answered.

Open enrollment runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027. Choose a plan by December 15 if you want coverage to start January 1; plans picked later start February 1. A federal rule that would have ended enrollment on December 31 was struck down by a court in June 2026.

No. The enhanced federal credits expired at the end of 2025 and Congress has not restored them. If your household income is above 400% of the poverty level, you get no tax credit, and people below that line generally get less help than in 2025.

KFF puts Minnesota's 2026 average benchmark Silver premium for a 40-year-old at $448 a month before tax credits. That is lower than the national average of $625. Your price depends on age, county and plan, and premiums for someone in their late 50s or early 60s are much higher than for a 40-year-old.

A big reason is the Minnesota Premium Security Plan, a state reinsurance program that pays part of very large claims so insurers can charge less. The federal waiver behind it runs through 2027. State officials say 2027 rates would have risen far more without it.

Your tax credit depends on your household income for the year, so plan your withdrawals and other income. For 2026 coverage, staying under about $62,600 for one person or $84,600 for a couple keeps you eligible for a credit. A licensed agent or tax adviser can help you model this.

Possibly. MinnesotaCare covers adults with income above Medical Assistance limits and up to 200% of the poverty level, at little or no cost, and you can apply any time. It ends once you are entitled to Medicare.

Once you qualify for Medicare, you generally lose eligibility for tax credits on a MNsure plan and for MinnesotaCare. Plan to enroll in Medicare during your initial enrollment window and then end your MNsure coverage so there is no gap.

Not in practice. State law allows them only with strict limits, and the Commerce Department reports no insurer has sold one in Minnesota since August 2023. Be cautious of anyone offering a short-term plan to a Minnesota resident.

In 2025, federal agencies said they would not enforce the 2024 rule limiting short-term plans to four months, and a new rule has been expected. That does not change Minnesota's own law, which caps each plan at 185 days and total coverage at 365 days in any 555-day period.

Look at Minnesota continuation of your job plan, a MNsure plan through a special enrollment period, or MinnesotaCare and Medical Assistance if your income dropped. These cover pre-existing conditions, which short-term plans do not.

Blue Plus, HealthPartners, Inc., HealthPartners Insurance Company, Medica, Quartz and UCare. Most Minnesotans can choose from three or more insurers, and everyone has at least two.

UCare individual and family plans end after 2026. Medica took over that business, and UCare members will be placed in the most similar Medica plan for 2027. You can keep that plan or choose a different one during open enrollment.

The Commerce Department approved average 2027 individual market increases of roughly 10% to 21% by insurer, about 17% overall. What you actually pay depends on your plan, age, area and tax credit, so compare plans rather than renewing automatically.