New Report Shows Bright Spots, Areas of Concern for Quality in Minnesota Public Health Insurance Programs

May 4, 2023

Disparities across payer types and within state insurance programs persist

Gaps in health care quality for people with coverage through Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare compared to other types of health insurance persisted in 2021, according to a new report from MN Community Measurement (MNCM). The report was prepared for the Minnesota Department of Human Services and compares health care quality and health outcomes for people who received coverage through Minnesota Health Care Programs managed care organizations (MHCP MCO) to the same measures for people with private health insurance coverage or Medicare Advantage plans. The report includes 21 measures of health care quality for preventive care, chronic disease management, and mental health.

As health care disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic began to wane in 2021, many measures of health care quality started to rebound from the sharp declines that happened in 2020. As a result, several quality measures for MHCP MCO enrollees improved in 2021 — these included measures for colorectal cancer screening, controlling high blood pressure, optimal asthma control for adults, optimal diabetes care, and adolescent mental health screening. For these measures, performance gaps between MHCP MCOs and other payers have also narrowed or stayed the same over the past several years.

For breast cancer screening and childhood immunization, however, quality performance has been declining and gaps between MHCP MCO performance and other payer types have been widening over time. Just 54.4 percent of MHCP MCO enrollees were up to date on breast cancer screening in 2021, compared to 75.6 percent in the “other payers” comparison group. Among children who turned two years old in 2021, only 41.0 percent who had MHCP MCO coverage were up to date on recommended immunizations, compared to 67.6 percent with coverage through other payers.

The report also examines variation in quality within the MHCP MCO population, by race, ethnicity, language, and country of origin. Key findings related to variation within MHCP programs include significantly lower performance rates for Black and Indigenous/Native people, compared to other racial and ethnic groups. Of the 21 measures included in the report, rates were significantly lower for Black patients on 13 of the measures, and significantly lower for Indigenous/Native patients on 7 of the measures.

“Being able to measure and report on health care quality in this way really shines a light on where we are making progress and where additional strategies may be needed to improve outcomes for people who have health coverage through state programs,” said Julie Sonier, MNCM President and CEO. “While it’s encouraging to see progress in some areas, there is a long way to go to improve outcomes for people covered by these programs. For nearly all measures, tackling the gaps in outcomes will require innovative strategies and sustained focus to move the needle.”

Appendices to the report include quality results for patients enrolled in MHCP MCOs by medical group and clinic location , as well as details on the methodology for data collection and analysis.

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 one 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. Jennifer Lamprecht of Sanford Health and Dr. Justine Mrosak of Hennepin Healthcare have been appointed to co-chair the committee, which will include consumer representatives alongside members representing a cross-section of Minnesota's health care community. Protecting patient privacy This transition changes who operates Minnesota's health information exchange. It does not change how patient information is protected or who may access it. MNSHINE will continue to operate in compliance with HIPAA and the Minnesota Health Records Act, which is among the strongest patient-consent laws in the nation, and in compliance with the participant agreements that govern how information is exchanged. Health information exchange and measurement will each remain governed by their own legal and contractual requirements, and bringing them into one organization does not change the purposes for which patient information may be used.
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