MN Community Measurement Report Highlights Health Care Disparities by Insurance Type

March 25, 2021

Data collected in 2020 for care provided in 2019 reveals disparities by insurance type and other factors such as race/ethnicity.

Minnesota health care providers improved on several key indicators of health care quality for people covered by Minnesota Health Care Programs through managed care organizations (MCOs) in 2019, according to a new report from MN Community Measurement (MNCM).

Compared to the previous year, the percentage of adults who received optimal diabetes care and those who were up to date on breast cancer screening and colorectal cancer screening improved. The percentage of adolescents who received mental health screening also increased. In addition, despite ongoing gaps in quality metrics for those served by Minnesota Health Care Programs MCOs compared to other health care payers in Minnesota, the gaps in quality narrowed for all measures in the report where comparison over time is available.

The report was prepared for the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) and examines differences in quality indicators between patients covered by Minnesota Health Care Programs MCOs and other types of health insurance. The data for the report was collected by MNCM in 2020, and reflect care provided in 2019.

“While it is encouraging that care was improving prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are many reasons to be concerned about disparate impacts of the pandemic on health care quality,” said Julie Sonier, MNCM President and CEO. “We know the pandemic has hit low-income communities particularly hard from both a health and an economic standpoint. This could result in worsening what were already significant differences in quality outcomes for people with coverage through state programs vs. other type of health insurance.”

For the first time, the report includes data on differences in outcomes by preferred language and country of origin within Minnesota Health Care Programs; it also includes analysis by race and ethnicity, as in prior years. Indigenous/Native and Black Minnesotans had outcomes significantly below the average for Minnesota Health Care Programs MCOs on most of the measures included in the report.

“Unfortunately, any positive gains in more equitable health care quality for Minnesotans on public health care programs in 2019 will be overshadowed by the disparate impacts of COVID-19 in 2020,” said DHS Commissioner Jodi Harpstead. “The Department of Human Services has devoted more attention, including adding financial incentives, to eliminate these indefensible disparities and systemic disadvantages for the people we serve, and we call upon all of our partners to join us in this work to end structural racism in health care.”

New to the report this year is reporting on outcomes of depression care for adolescents, and aggregate reporting on components of diabetes, vascular care, and asthma control measures.

MN Community Measurement produces comprehensive, trusted data that helps to monitor and drive improvement in health care quality and health outcomes. MNCM will be a key source of information about how the pandemic has impacted health care and health outcomes in Minnesota, including how it may have differentially affected people enrolled in MHCP.

An appendix to the report includes results by medical group and clinic location, where applicable.

About MN Community Measurement

MN Community Measurement is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering health care decision makers with meaningful data to drive improvement. A trusted source of health care data since 2005, MNCM works with doctors, hospitals, clinics, insurance companies, and state agencies to collect, analyze, and report health care data related to quality, cost, and patient experience. Learn more at www.mncm.org.

About Minnesota Health Care Programs

Minnesota Health Care Programs include Medical Assistance, Minnesota’s Medicaid program, and MinnesotaCare. These public health care programs provide coverage to Minnesotans with low incomes who cannot afford private insurance. They currently collectively serve more than 1.32 million Minnesotans.


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October 20, 2026
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — October 20, 2026 — MN Community Measurement (MNCM) today announced that it has completed its acquisition of Koble-MN's health information exchange (HIE) business line and the MNSHINE brand from The Koble Group. On November 1, MNCM will officially change its legal name to Minnesota Statewide Health Information Network and Exchange, known as MNSHINE. The transition follows a special joint meeting of MNCM's Board of Directors and members on October 12, at which the Board unanimously approved resolutions authorizing the acquisition, changing the organization's legal name, and establishing a new HIE Advisory Committee. Members unanimously adopted the name change and related amendments to the organization's Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws. An intentional decision to collaborate The transition is the result of an intentional decision by Minnesota health care leaders to collaborate on a health data landscape that makes sense: one that reduces redundancy, increases efficiency, and delivers needed information to those with legal authorization to receive it, where and when it is needed, without unnecessary administrative barriers. "This is not simply a merger of services. It is a deliberate choice to build the kind of health data infrastructure Minnesota deserves," said Liz Cinqueonce, President and CEO of MNCM. "For too long, organizations across our state have had to navigate duplicative systems and disconnected data. By bringing measurement and exchange together, we can reduce that burden and make sure the right information reaches the right people at the right time, with patient privacy protections firmly in place, so they can focus on improving care." The effort builds on months of work by the Executive Leadership Council, convened earlier this year by MNCM, the Minnesota Electronic Health Records Consortium, and Koble to explore how a sustainable, statewide health data utility could serve the public interest. "Minnesota is at its best when we take on difficult challenges together and align on solutions," said Mark Steffen, MD, Chair of the MNCM Board of Directors. "The Board's unanimous support reflects a shared conviction that our future depends on organizations keeping their unique strengths and missions while participating in shared infrastructure and governance. That balance is what enables greater coordination, transparency, efficiency, and impact." A trusted backbone for Minnesota's health data Minnesota's future health data ecosystem is one in which organizations retain their unique strengths and missions while participating in shared infrastructure and governance. The vision for MNSHINE is to become the health data utility, governed in the public interest with strong privacy protections and transparency, that serves as the trusted backbone connecting these efforts, ensuring data can be used more effectively to improve health, wellbeing, and outcomes for all Minnesotans. By bringing the measurement of health care quality, cost, and utilization together with the infrastructure that moves clinical data between organizations, MNSHINE will be positioned to support providers, payers, public health, researchers, policymakers, and communities alike, each within the limits of applicable law and participant agreements. The goal is healthier people, stronger communities, greater equity, better public decisions, smarter investments, and a health system that learns continuously. Continuity for HIE participants HIE services will continue without interruption. To ensure continuity of leadership and relationships, Chad Peterson, CEO of The Koble Group, has joined MNCM as Senior Vice President of HIE Services. “For HIE participants, this transition opens new possibilities,” said Peterson. “When exchange and measurement are guided by one mission, we can reduce duplication for providers and better support care coordination, while holding firm to the privacy protections patients expect. I’m proud to help lead that work, and I’m committed to making sure every participant feels supported as we grow.” MNCM has also established the HIE Advisory Committee as a standing committee of its Board of Directors. The committee continues the work of the Koble-MN Advisory Committee and will advise the Board on interoperability, participant relationships, privacy, security, data governance, and health equity. 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