Minn. could still get $1M health care grant from feds

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sibelius says Minnesota may still get a $1 million health care grant that former Gov. Tim Pawlenty passed up last fall.

Last September, Pawlenty ordered state agencies to stop applying for discretionary federal health care reform grants.

That included a planning grant for Minnesota to set up a so-called health insurance exchange, a kind of online marketplace where consumers can compare and buy insurance plans.

The exchanges are a key part of the federal health care overhaul. Sibelius says she's working with Minnesota's new governor, Mark Dayton, on extending the deadline for Minnesota to apply.

"We are working closely with Gov. Dayton's office and hopefully he'll be able to make an announcement in the near future," she said.

Governor Dayton said it is a "huge opportunity" for Minnesota that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has reopened the application process.