Interview: MNsure CEO Talks Enrollment, Website Issues

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Scott Leitz, the head of MNsure, spoke with Esme Murphy on WCCO Sunday Morning, a day before the scheduled deadline for consumers to sign up for health insurance as required by the Affordable Care Act.

To avoid paying a tax penalty, consumers need to sign up by Monday, Dec. 15, to ensure they're covered by Jan. 1, 2015.

Leitz say MNsure is prepared for a rush of calls in the final hours of the open enrollment period. He also said that the health exchange's website is running much better this year, despite some several hundred people encountering issues.

"I think it's important to keep in mind that the scope of those issues is pretty small," he said. "As a comparison, we enrolled over 3,000 people successfully into coverage on Thursday."

Leitz added that, compared to last year's disastrous rollout, MNsure is better prepared to help customers that run into issues. He also said that MNsure's call center will be open until midnight on Monday, in order to help those trying to get coverage ahead of the deadline.

As far as the controversy involving PreferredOne pulling out of MNsure, Leitz encourages consumers to go through MNsure's exchange to find a new policy that works for them.

"Consumers can save up to $300 on average per month, just by coming back through MNsure," he said.

To learn more about MNsure and the approaching deadline, watch the video above. If you're experiencing trouble with the health insurance exchange's website, call the help line at 855-366-7873.