Screening Consumers

The more time an assister spends learning about a consumer's situation, the better they can ensure they are the right resource and the consumer will receive the help they need.

Consumer Information Checklist

Have the consumer gather this information and bring it with them to your first meeting. Emphasize that not having everything on the list may mean they will have to come back another time.

Assister Portal Consumer Authorization

Your first meeting is a good time tell the consumer they can authorize you to act on their behalf using the assister portal. Information for the consumer about setting up this authorization is on MNsure.org on the How to Manage Your Assister and Managing an Assister FAQ pages.

The Assister Portal section of assister central covers account and consumer list management tips and more information. Here are a few key reminders:

Brokers must have an association with the consumer through the assister portal to establish their agent of record.
A consumer can authorize an assister to act on their behalf at any time in the process: before, during or after an application has been submitted.

Get to Know the Consumer

Consumers situations can vary and this section provides questions that an assister can ask in order to understand a consumer’s situation.

Assisters must ask consumers for the minimum amount of personal information that is needed to provide assistance, therefore it is recommended that these questions be used to create intake forms for the populations that assisters work with. Information about collecting personal information can be found on MNsure.org: Terms and Privacy and MNsure Privacy Warnings

Questions to Ask

Getting to Know the Consumer
- What is your preferred language?
- What is your legally recorded name?
- What should I call you?
- What pronouns do you use?
- How did you hear about MNsure?
- Do you currently have any specific health care needs?
- What are your health insurance goals?
- Have you worked with a MNsure assister before?
Past Applications, Accounts or Access to Other Health Insurance Options
- Have you or anyone in your household already submitted an application this year or in the past with MNsure?
- Has anyone in your household already created a MNsure account on MNsure.org?
  - If yes, do you know your MNsure login information?
- Does anyone in your household have Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare?
- Does anyone in the household have another type of health insurance
  - If yes, is the insurance through a job?
    - If yes, what is the monthly premium you would pay to enroll only the employee?
    - If yes, who else in the household can get on this insurance plan?
- Does anyone in the household have a job that offers health insurance that they are not enrolled in?
  - If yes, what is the monthly premium you would pay to enroll only the employee?
  - If yes, who in the household can get on this insurance plan?
- If you are employed, does your employer offer insurance to you or your spouse at any time in the year?
- Is there anyone in the household who receives disability benefits?
- Is anyone in the household a college student?
Personal Information
- What is your legally recorded name?
- What is your legally recorded gender?
- Is anyone in your household pregnant?
Citizenship
For coverage through MNsure, the applicants applying for health insurance must be Minnesota residents.
- Are all the individuals in your household one of the following?
  - U.S. citizen
  - U.S. national
  - Lawfully present in the U.S.
- Do you (the applicant) have a Social Security number?
- If no, have you applied for a Social Security number?
For more information: Citizenship and Immigration Guide (PDF)
Household Size
- Who all lives with you?
- How are they related to you?
- Who is included on your tax return?
- Is there anyone outside your house who you claim as a dependent on your taxes?
- If only minor children are applying for coverage, who would you like to be the primary applicant for your child/ren?
Income
- What is the approximate annual income of your household? Do you expect any changes to that in the next year?
- What is your current total monthly income, including all household members?
We will need to report every source of income in your household on the application. Are you able to provide:
- All taxable income, such as wages from a job, Social Security benefits (but not SSI), self-employment income, unemployment, retirement/pension income, alimony, interest/dividends, and more
- Some types of nontaxable income, such as foreign earned income, interest income and non-taxable Title II Social Security benefits
- Do not include Supplemental Security Income (SSI), child support, worker’s compensation or veteran’s benefits.