HEALTHCARE FOR ALL
MinnesotaCare Public Option
“Accessing quality, affordable, health care for all”
The Policy
In May 2024, Minnesota lawmakers passed “The MinnesotaCare Public Option,” which will allow the state to implement their own public option plan. This will enable Minnesotans without employer-subsidized health insurance to buy into MinnesotaCare. The MinnesotaCare Public Option expands on the state’s existing Basic Health Program (BHP), which allows states to leverage federal dollars to fund programs that offer more affordable coverage for people living below 200 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL). This expansion will enable the MinnesotaCare Public Option to eventually cover anyone—including undocumented Minnesotans and older Minnesotans who do not yet qualify for Medicare.
The earliest that the MinnesotaCare Public Option could launch is 2027, as Minnesota lawmakers request federal approval for the program and explore funding options.
The Strategy: How Did Minnesotans Win This Policy?
According to TakeAction Minnesota, who helped lead efforts to get the Public Option passed in the state, the MinnesotaCare Public Option was crafted against the backdrop of a decade of organizing, base and narrative building, and policy discussions. TakeAction Minnesota describes a strategy wherein advocates worked within Minnesota’s political structures as well as outside of them, gathering community support and forming bigger coalitions on the ground. TakeAction Minnesota is part of a broad coalition of organizations that supported a Public Option, including groups like Unidos MN, whom they credit with ensuring that coverage for undocumented immigrants was included in the bill.
The bill, which originated in the Minnesota House’s Ways and Means Committee, was attached to the Committee’s supplemental budget bills for climate and energy, agriculture and commerce.
The Law’s Impact
While the law has yet to take effect, we can look to two other states—Colorado and Washington—that have implemented and begun to enroll individuals in their public option plans. According to a 2024 report by the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative, the Colorado Option has more than doubled its enrollment in 2024, from 39,000 Coloradans enrolled in the public option in 2023, to 93,000, representing 34 percent of total marketplace enrollments. Insurance premium increases have also slowed by 28 percent. In Washington, the state’s “Cascade Select” public option plan has seen premiums rise at half the rate of other plans’ premiums.
Messaging Guidance: Words That Work
Advocates may find it helpful to emphasize that across race, income, and zip code, our health and well-being are tied together, as we’ve seen throughout the COVID pandemic. Using phrases like, “everyone deserves access to quality, affordable healthcare” underscores this point.
Additionally, TakeAction Minnesota notes that discussing affordability—the MinnesotaCare Public Option allows more Minnesotans to enroll in MinnesotaCare, on a sliding premium scale —helps communicate that public options help those priced out of affordable healthcare access trusted, high-quality coverage.
Additional Resources:
Pathways to Lower Health Prices: State Public Option Toolkit
The Progressive Caucus Action Fund thanks TakeAction Minnesota for their comments and insights.
For more state victories, see our