Health insurance helps spread out the cost of expensive health care, helping people gain access to care that they otherwise couldn’t afford. You never know when you might get sick, injured or need costly medical care. Health insurance also covers preventive care like doctor visits, vaccinations and screenings for certain illnesses.

The COVID-19 pandemic – as well as the racial unrest that ensued after the murder of George Floyd last summer – pushed the health care system in ways that no one could ever have imagined. Minnesota’s nonprofit health plans have stepped up in a number of ways to support our state.

Council CEO Lucas Nesse stresses the importance of preventing COVID-19 this holiday season. This means protecting your friends and loved ones, protecting your community and protecting yourself. The holidays are known as a time to come together, but we need to think differently this year.

A pre-existing condition is any health condition you have before your insurance coverage starts. The ACA offers protections for Americans living with these conditions. In light of this, it’s important to remember what pre-existing conditions are, including how the ACA changed how insurance companies treat them.

The Council is sharing the mental health work being done by Minnesota’s nonprofit health plans. Our plan members care deeply about the health, safety and wellness of Minnesotans and in recent months, they’ve ramped up efforts even more to meet Minnesotans’ mental health needs.

It is important to know your options if you lose your employer-sponsored health insurance due to a job loss. Depending on your health, age and financial situation, you may qualify for low or no-cost health insurance coverage or for subsidies that will help lower what you pay for coverage if you are buying insurance on your own.