Terms & Conditions

These Terms & Conditions ("Terms") govern your use of MinnesotaSure ("we," "our," "us") at minnesotasure.org, including our online application wizards, navigator assistance, and SMS and email notifications. By using MinnesotaSure, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the service.

MinnesotaSure operates as a free MNsure-certified health-coverage navigator service. Our work is governed by Section 1311(i) of the Affordable Care Act, 45 CFR § 155.210 (Navigator Program Standards), the Minnesota MNsure statutes (Minn. Stat. ch. 62V), the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, and the federal HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules where applicable.

1. Description of the service

MinnesotaSure helps Minnesota residents apply for public and private health coverage, including:

• MNsure — qualified health plans, with or without advance premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions.
• Medical Assistance (MA) — Minnesota's Medicaid program, including MA for families and children, MA for the elderly, blind, or disabled, MA-EPD (employed persons with disabilities), and long-term services and supports.
• MinnesotaCare — for adults whose income is just above MA limits.
• Medicare Savings Programs (MSP) — QMB, SLMB, and QI to help pay Medicare premiums and cost-sharing.

Through our wizards, we help you complete and submit DHS-6696 (Minnesota Health Care Application), DHS-3876 (Application for Certain Populations), DHS-7823 (Authorization for the Release of Information), and related forms. A MNsure-certified navigator reviews your information, assists you with submission, and may follow up with the State of Minnesota or your county servicing agency on your behalf when authorized to do so.

2. We are not the government, MNsure, or an insurance company

MinnesotaSure is an independent navigator service. We are not MNsure, the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an insurance company, an insurance agent, or an insurance broker.

We do not sell health insurance. We do not earn commissions on plans you choose. We do not have authority to determine your eligibility for any program or to enroll you without the State's confirmation.

3. No fees

Federal law (45 CFR § 155.215) and Minnesota Statutes prohibit MNsure-certified navigators from charging consumers a fee for navigator services. MinnesotaSure is free. If anyone asks you for payment for help with a Minnesota health-coverage application, that person is not acting as a navigator.

4. Who can use MinnesotaSure

To use MinnesotaSure you must:

• Be a resident of Minnesota, or be applying on behalf of a Minnesota resident as their authorized representative or household member;
• Be at least 18 years old, or have a parent or legal guardian completing the application on your behalf;
• Provide accurate, truthful information.

5. Your responsibilities

• Accuracy: Federal and state programs require that you certify, under penalty of perjury, that the information you provide is true and complete. False statements may result in denial of benefits, repayment, civil penalties, or criminal prosecution.
• Report changes: You must report changes to income, household, address, or other circumstances within 10 days of the change to MNsure or DHS, as applicable.
• Citizenship and immigration documents: Be prepared to provide verification documents if requested.
• Cooperation: Respond to requests for information from MNsure, DHS, your county, or your navigator within the deadlines stated in any notice you receive.
• Keep your contact information current: Especially your mailing address, since eligibility notices are mailed.

6. No legal, medical, or tax advice

Our navigators are trained to help you understand health-coverage options and complete application forms. We do not provide legal advice, medical advice, immigration advice, or tax advice. For those matters, please consult a licensed attorney, your healthcare provider, an immigration attorney or BIA-accredited representative, or a qualified tax professional.

7. Eligibility decisions are made by MNsure / DHS

We help you apply. Final decisions about your eligibility for Medical Assistance, MinnesotaCare, advance premium tax credits, cost-sharing reductions, or any other program are made solely by MNsure, DHS, or the federal government. Approval or denial is not within our control. If you disagree with an eligibility decision, you have the right to appeal — your eligibility notice explains how.

8. HIPAA, privacy, and data handling

Some health information you provide is protected by the federal HIPAA Privacy Rule and Security Rule. The Minnesota Health Records Act (Minn. Stat. § 144.291–298) and the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act (Minn. Stat. ch. 13) also protect your information. We handle your information in accordance with those laws and the MNsure Notice of Privacy Practices.

Full details of our data handling, retention, security, and your rights are in our Privacy Policy.

By using MinnesotaSure you acknowledge that:

• Your information will be transmitted to MNsure, DHS, your county, and federal verification agencies (CMS, IRS, SSA, DHS) as required by law to determine your eligibility;
• Application records are retained for at least 10 years, consistent with MNsure navigator recordkeeping requirements;
• Electronic transmissions, while encrypted, are not absolutely secure.

9. SMS and email communications

If you provide an email address, we will email you a confirmation, a secure link to sign your application, and any follow-up needed. Email is required for our service.

If you provide a phone number, you consent to receive SMS notifications about your application. SMS is optional, transactional only, and you can opt out at any time by replying STOP. Reply HELP for help. Standard message and data rates may apply. Full SMS terms are in our Privacy Policy, Section 6.

10. Third-party services

To operate our wizards we use the following service providers, each of which acts under contractual confidentiality and data-protection obligations:

• Cloudflare — web hosting, DDoS protection, TLS termination.
• DocuSeal — electronic signature collection.
• Twilio — SMS message delivery.
• Postmark — transactional email delivery.

We are not responsible for the practices of third-party websites you may reach through links from our pages (e.g., MNsure, DHS, CMS).

11. Acceptable use

You agree not to:

• Submit false or fraudulent applications, or use MinnesotaSure to commit identity theft, benefits fraud, or any other unlawful act;
• Submit applications on behalf of another person without their knowledge and authorization;
• Attempt to access, disrupt, or compromise the wizards, our backend systems, or the data of other applicants;
• Use automated tools, bots, scrapers, or denial-of-service techniques against our service;
• Reverse-engineer, copy, or republish material from our website except as expressly permitted.

We may suspend or terminate access to the service at any time for suspected violations.

12. Intellectual property

The MinnesotaSure name, logo, wizard interface, content, and source code are the property of MinnesotaSure or its licensors. Nothing in these Terms transfers ownership to you. State and federal forms (DHS-6696, DHS-3876, DHS-7823, etc.) are public-domain government works and we make no claim to them.

13. Disclaimers

MinnesotaSure is provided "as is" and "as available", without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, or non-infringement. We do not warrant that the service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure against unauthorized access.

While we make our best effort to keep eligibility information current, program rules can change. The authoritative source for any program rule is MNsure, DHS, or the federal agency administering the program.

14. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, MinnesotaSure and its operators, employees, and contractors are not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising out of or in connection with your use of the service, including but not limited to lost benefits, denied coverage, delayed processing, or data loss. Our total aggregate liability for any direct damages is limited to USD $100.

Some jurisdictions do not allow exclusion of certain warranties or limitation of liability for incidental damages, so some of these limitations may not apply to you.

15. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold MinnesotaSure harmless from any claims, losses, or expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of (a) information you provide that is false, misleading, or unauthorized; (b) your violation of these Terms; or (c) your violation of any law or third-party right.

16. Termination

You may stop using MinnesotaSure at any time. You may withdraw an in-progress application before submission by contacting us. After submission, you may revoke your navigator authorization by contacting MNsure at 855-366-7873.

We may suspend or terminate access to the service at our discretion, including for suspected fraud or abuse. Termination does not affect our obligation to retain submitted application records as required by law.

17. Governing law and disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Minnesota, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the service shall be resolved exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Hennepin County, Minnesota, and you consent to personal jurisdiction in those courts. Nothing in this section limits your right to file a complaint with MNsure, DHS, or any state or federal regulator.

18. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top reflects the most recent revision. Material changes will be communicated by email to applicants whose data we hold. Continued use of MinnesotaSure after a change constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

19. How to contact us

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