Minnesota Comprehensive Health Association (MCHA) is a nonprofit organization that sells health insurance to people in Minnesota who can’t get private health insurance because of a pre-existing condition that will make them too expensive for the insurance company to cover. These people are part of a “high-risk pool.” This type of insurance is often called “insurance of last resort.”

MCHA is not a government agency and is not funded by the government. It is not the same thing as MinnesotaCare.

MCHA contracts with the private insurance company Medica to provide medical services, but your insurance is still through MCHA. You pay for MCHA insurance out-of-pocket. The premiums are usually higher than what you would pay for similar coverage in the private insurance market, but Minnesota law does limit them to 101 – 125% of the average cost of similar policies.

Since MCHA is more expensive, you should buy MCHA coverage only if you don’t have any other options. You should see if you qualify for public or private insurance first. You can read more about how to get public insurance or private insurance in other sections on DB101.

If you do not qualify for public health coverage, and you have been turned down for private health coverage because of a pre-existing medical condition, MCHA could be a good way for you to still get health care coverage.