Minnesota authorizes online health insurance marketplace

Gov. Mark Dayton has promised to sign the legislation, which enables his administration to move forward on building the infrastructure necessary for the marketplace to begin enrolling people Oct. 1 -- a tight deadline that officials said would require massive work to meet.

The Associated Press: Major Insurance Overhaul Passes At Minnesota Capitol
More than 300,000 uninsured Minnesotans will have a route toward health coverage under a bill the state Senate passed Monday, the final legislative step toward implementing one of the major features of the new federal health-care law. The Senate approved the health insurance exchange bill on a party-line vote of 39-28. They sent the bill to Gov. Mark Dayton, who has vowed to sign it and whose administration already has been working for months on setting up the venture and hiring its employees ahead of a planned Oct. 1 enrollment [date] (Condon, 3/20).

MPR News: Minnesota's Health Insurance Exchange: What's Next
Gov. Mark Dayton has promised to sign into law the contentious health insurance exchange bill that was approved by the House and Senate. The legislation enacts a new online marketplace where more than a million Minnesotans will obtain health insurance starting in October. But that's only the beginning of the exchange story. Here's a list of six next steps to watch for as the health exchanges take shape (Stawicki, 3/19).

MinnPost: Minnesota Health Exchange A Step Nearer, But Massive Work And Tight Deadlines Remain
Minnesota's health insurance exchange is a major step closer on the long path to becoming a reality. The state-based exchange -; the linchpin of federal health reform -; is on its way to Gov. Mark Dayton for his signature, following Senate approval Monday on the compromise bill. Major work remains, though, in designing the physical exchange and in working out rules and regulations (Nord, 3/19).