Everything You Need to Know About Minnesota’s Healthcare System

Private health insurance is coverage that you (or your spouse, partner, or parent) get from a private entity (a.k.a. not the government). Most people get private insurance from their employers, but it can also be bought through federal and state marketplaces like HealthCare.gov and MNSure in Minnesota. They help people find plans that meet their needs and might be run by government entities, but the policies purchased through them are private. 

There are actually quite a few different types of private health insurances within the state, including Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, HealthPartners, Allina Health, UCare, and UnitedHealthcare. Individual plans cover a single person, while family plans cover family members like spouses and dependent children. Group plans are the ones offered by employers.  

Then there’s short-term policies that fill coverage gaps; catastrophic insurance that covers major medical expenses; and supplemental health insurance that complements existing health coverage. Long-term care policies cover costs related to nursing homes, home healthcare, and assisted living facilities while travel insurance covers healthcare needs and emergencies during international travel. 
 
Because most healthcare policies don’t cover eyes and teeth specifically, dental and vision policies cover these needs (think vision exams and dental cleanings) separately. 

Public health insurance is insurance that’s provided by the government. In the United States, this generally means Medicare (coverage for those 65 and older) and Medicaid (coverage for people with low incomes or certain disabilities and conditions). Public healthcare also includes the federal Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), healthcare provided through Veterans Affairs, plans offered through the Indian Health Service (IHS), and state-specific plans. 

Even though some of these services are federal programs, they’re often administered through individual states. Here in Minnesota, Medical Assistance (MA) is the state’s Medicaid program while MinnesotaCare is the state program for residents with low incomes.  

The Mayo Clinic is based in Rochester, a major city in southern Minnesota. It has satellite locations in Florida, Arizona, Saudi Arabia and England, making it the largest integrated nonprofit medical group in the world. (Integrated means that there’s an overarching connection across all of Mayo’s clinics, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities.)  

The institution is focused on both education and research as well as practice, and often considered the best hospital in the country. In fact, it’s so well-regarded around the world that the Dalai Lama, Ernest Hemingway, Lou Gehrig, Helen Keller, Muhammad Ali, and Johnny Cash have all passed through its halls over the years.   

The Mayo Clinic universe is comprised of 16 hospitals, 53 clinics, and one mobile health clinic. Mayo offers more than 100 medical and surgical services throughout the system that first opened in 1914. Today it’s best known for its nation-leading work across cancer, cardiology, diabetes, neurology, and more.  

Healthcare, in its broadest sense, is broken down into primary care and everything else. It’s the everything else part that’s usually described as specialty care. 

Primary care is more general, preventative care that’s provided by a general practitioner, family physician, or pediatrician. Primary care doctors are your main healthcare provider; they prevent, diagnose, and treat both acute and some chronic conditions, and help you maintain your overall health. 

Healthcare needs sometimes extend beyond the broad scope of a general practitioner and require the care of a specialist who is deeply trained in one specific area of medicine. Common forms of specialty care include cardiology, urology, neurology, and orthopedics. These are the people your general practitioner will refer you to when you have more complex health needs. 

Chronic conditions like cancer and heart disease are often treated and managed by a team of specialists. Most large healthcare systems will have a range of specialists under their umbrella. 

Mental health services (sometimes called behavioral health services) are designed to meet our psychological, emotional, and social healthcare needs. Many large hospital and healthcare systems have mental health services either in house or seamlessly integrated into their system.   

The Minnesota Specialty Health System (MSHS) provides certain mental health services to adults who need additional healthcare between inpatient services and going home. Other mental health services are often covered by health insurance plans in Minnesota; for instance, state employees are not subject to a deductible or copay when receiving treatment.    

Not sure where to turn or start? Mental Health Minnesota, the Minnesota chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and the world-renowned Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation are good places to begin. 

There are hundreds of hospitals and clinics to choose from across the state. Some of the biggest players are the University of Minnesota Fairview system, Abbott Northwestern, North Memorial Health, HealthPartners at Park Nicollet, Hennepin Healthcare, and Allina Health.   

The Minnesota Hospital Association has this handy map of statewide hospital locations while Bridge to Benefits hosts a low-cost healthcare directory for physical, mental, and dental needs. There are also a number of community clinics like Minnesota Community Care and the Native American Community Clinic that offer care in underserved areas. 

No matter your healthcare needs, Minnesota has the care you’re looking for.