MNsure’s goal of enrolling 135,000 Minnesotans in health insurance plans by March 31 no longer seems like a pipe dream.

At present, more than 120,000 Minnesotans have enrolled in plans through the state’s health insurance marketplace, and MNsure is currently averaging about 1,000 new enrollees every day. At that pace, the agency will meet or exceed its objective by the month’s end.

It’s a far cry from the program’s disastrous start, burdened by a series of glitches that included problems completing applications on the website, lost applications, and the inability to include tax subsidies in the rate calculations for St. Louis County enrollees.

Those problems here and nationwide initially eroded support for the health care program, but persistence and some changes in leadership at MNsure helped turn things around.

It’s a familiar story. CHIP, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, got off to a slow start in 1998. The program didn’t reach its target level of enrollment for five years. Now it enrolls nearly 90 percent of all eligible children.

By the same token, Richard Nixon’s Supplemental Security Income Program of 1974 — designed to standardize welfare benefits to the poor — was widely derided at the time, and many states were reluctant to sign up. Today, more than 8 million Americans are covered.

But the proof, they say, is in the pudding. MNsure’s aim is to make health insurance affordable so that more Minnesotans, many who previously had no medical coverage, are protected.

As part of its March to Enroll campaign, MNsure has been posting success stories of folks who were able to find better and less expensive health insurance through the state marketplace.

In one example, a participant named Mark, who had previously purchased insurance through the open market since his employer did not offer it at work, was able to enroll in a plan that reduced his deductible from $12,000 to $2,000 per year. His children also how have free preventive dental coverage as part of his MNsure plan.

“This is a game-changer for middle-class families,” he said.

Mark’s experience is reflected in the stories of others, who previously waited until they ended up in a hospital to seek medical care, and now are able to realize thousands of dollars in savings through their new health plans. And many residents in our region have already benefitted from the MNsure program, through lower premiums, better insurance coverage, or both.

The jury is still out on the long-term success of the health insurance marketplace, but the early results indicate it’s an improvement over the past. Spiraling medical costs, driven in part by the uninsured, have drained family budgets. A recent study showed that bankruptcies resulting from unpaid medical bills are the No. 1 cause of such filings, outpacing bankruptcies due to credit-card bills or unpaid mortgages. It’s been a burden on small businesses, as well, who want to offer their employees a good health plan but see insurance premiums rising beyond their means.

If you qualify, but haven’t signed up yet, do so. Most residents in St. Louis County will qualify for tax subsidies to help reduce the cost of their monthly health premiums, and you may discover that you qualify for Medical Assistance, which provides very low cost coverage. In addition, you will have more choice over the health care plan that’s best for you, including where you seek medical care and how great a deductible you will pay. The current open enrollment deadline ends March 31, so time is of the essence. If you need assistance, you can search the MNsure website at www.mnsure.org to find a list of trained assisters in your area who can help you navigate the program’s online application.