| June 17, 2021 Sunshine and highs in the 90s expected Friday across many parts of the state with a chance for spotty showers returning Saturday. Find the latest on Updraft. The Minnesota Medical Association and MNsure, the state's Affordable Care Act health insurance marketplace, are welcoming the U.S. Supreme Court's latest ruling upholding the law. MNsure CEO Nate Clark said all Minnesotans benefit from the law's health care protection. He also says those who buy health plans through MNsure save money on insurance premiums because of ACA tax credits. "Americans and Minnesotans understand it's a necessary and really important part of their lives," Clark said. "Because of the ACA, MNsure has been able to help Minnesotans access more than $1 billion in federal assistance through tax credits. That's of course since our first open enrollment in 2013." The Minnesota Medical Association applauded the high court's dismissal of the case, calling the ACA the law of the land. The court concluded states suing over the health insurance law had no standing to challenge it in federal court.
COVID-19 cases remain low, with the positivity rate for new tests below 1 percent on consecutive days for the first time in Minnesota. Case numbers rose over lows earlier in the week, up to more than 140 in the latest data. But that’s still a fraction of the thousands of daily cases reported at the height of the pandemic last November. The daily average for new cases has actually fallen by half in June alone. The state did report four additional deaths, although none of those were in long-term care facilities. Deaths in nursing homes and other care facilities are now averaging less than two a day. Hospital admissions are also down to their lowest daily average in more than a year. Vaccinations picked up from earlier in the week, with about 4,400 first or only shots. But the numbers also posted a week-over-week decline, which has now been true for most of June. Subscribe to our Minnesota Today podcast to get up-to-date Minnesota news twice daily. — Nina Moini | MPR News | 