A $310 million program to provide eligible Minnesota residents 25 percent rebates to offset the cost of health insurance is under budget, Pioneer Press reports.
State legislators approved a premium relief bill in January for residents who purchased individual health plans through the state's ACA marketplace, MNsure, but were ineligible for government subsidies to offset premium hikes.
By the end of April, roughly 95,000 individuals received the rebates, bringing the bill's price tag to $46.9 million for the first third of the year. Minnesota may only pay $140 million for the program if the trend continues, according to the report.
Eileen Smith, communications director for the Minnesota Council of Health Plans, told Pioneer Press the lower-than-expected spending resulted from 100,000 fewer health plan enrollees for 2017 compared to 2016.