The state's health insurance exchange, known as MNsure, is expected to open for business on Tuesday afternoon. But some key parts of the infrastructure designed to sign people up for coverage will not yet be functional.

At Tuesday's gathering of the MNsure Oversight Committee, Rep. Joe Atkins, DFL-Inver Grove Heights, had a simple question for health exchange officials: "Is it ready?

When the state’s health insurance exchange opens for business on Oct. 1, it will be relying on hundreds of nonprofit groups, county workers and insurance brokers to assist individuals and small businesses in obtaining coverage.

MNsure's board of directors voted to add up to $750,000 in additional outreach grants at Wednesday's meeting. The move came in response to an uproar from groups -- primarily in the African American community -- that felt like they were slighted in the first round of $4 million in grants to 30 organizations.

Minnesota's health insurance exchange will offer more than 100 insurance products with a starting prices as low as $91 per month when it opens for business on Oct. 1, state officials announced on Friday.

MNsure has unveiled the initial details of its marketing campaign designed to entice individuals to purchase health insurance. It features Paul Bunyan, Babe the Blue Ox and the tagline "Land of 10,000 reasons to get health insurance."

When the State Fair opens on Thursday, the usual diversions will undoubtedly be foremost on visitors’ minds. But the more than one million people expected to attend the annual gathering will also be targeted with marketing efforts surrounding the looming rollout of the state’s new health insurance marketplace, known as MNsure.

Starting next month, MNsure will spend $3.5 million on advertising to alert the public about the launch of the state-run health insurance marketplace. Open enrollment is set to commence on October 1.

Just over two months remain before MNsure, the state’s federally mandated health insurance marketplace, is slated to open for business. But there remain numerous tasks that need to be completed before the Oct. 1 rollout.

MNsure aims to balance the risk pool by courting the young and healthy.