Minnesota Aims For Buyer-Friendly Health Marketplace

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Minnesota officials are pushing to develop an online health insurance marketplace as they hurry to implement the federal health care overhaul.

The state aims to win federal approval of a homegrown health insurance website by Jan. 1 to avoid getting a one-size-fits-all federal model.  Commerce Commissioner Mike Rothman says the main goal is to help consumers make choices about health insurance.

The idea is to make getting health insurance easy. People will enter basic information in the website, learn whether they qualify for subsidies, compare the options and buy a policy.

Small business owners can shop for their employees. Those who can get public health coverage are sent to sign up. Consumers would first see the state's site during an enrollment period starting in October 2013.

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