Personal Finance

Graduate with Coverage

Lori Hendrickson, Extension Educator — Family Resource Management

June 2014

College graduates may seem like “young invincibles,” but they are the age group most likely to visit emergency rooms. And without health insurance, the expense of a trip to the ER can create a heavy burden. MNsure has launched the “Graduate with Health Coverage” campaign to remind young women and men that they may be eligible for affordable health insurance through the state’s health insurance marketplace.

MNsure reminds young adults across Minnesota that after college graduation, many will lose the health insurance they had through school and the peace of mind that comes with that coverage. MNsure may be an option if certain criteria are met, so college graduates should explore their options on the MNsure site to get covered.

Though the regular Open Enrollment period for 2014 has ended, people with qualifying life events can still enroll, and college graduates may be among those eligible to enroll. While graduation itself is not a qualifying life event, college graduates who experience a qualifying life event — such as the loss of university- or employer-sponsored health insurance that meets minimum essential coverage standards — may be eligible to enroll through MNsure.

Graduates whose income makes them eligible for MinnesotaCare or Medical Assistance, and who do not have access to employer-sponsored health insurance, can also enroll through MNsure for coverage through one of those programs.

Visit the MNsure website to see if you qualify. That website is www.mnsure.org.