Salvasen Health, a Texas-based company, along with its owner, Barry Glenn, and multiple affiliates of Salvasen, have been fined $553,000 by the Minnesota Department of Commerce and ordered to stop their operations in Minnesota.  Salvasen and its affiliates were not licensed in Minnesota to sell health insurance plans but sold unapproved health plans to Minnesota consumers any way. 

Minnesota consumers with concerns, questions or complaints about health insurance plans are encouraged to contact Commerce’s Consumer Service Center: 651-239-1600 or 800-657-3602 or consumer.protection@state.mn.us. 

The Department of Commerce, which provides regulatory oversight of insurance for the State of Minnesota, acted in early 2022 to suspend Salvasen and its affiliates’ operations in Minnesota following an investigation that found the company was unlicensed, offering unapproved health plans for sale in Minnesota, and failing to pay claims for covered medical services. MNsure offered a special open enrollment for Minnesota consumers who had purchased health plans from Salvasen to enroll instead in approved health insurance plans through MNsure.

Consumers who filed complaints with the Department of Commerce about Salvasen reported a range of problems, including being denied coverage in situations Salvasen said would be covered, having to pay thousands in medical charges out of pocket, and getting no response from Salvasen when contacted about problems with coverage.  

Minnesota is one of several states to take enforcement actions against Salvasen. Any business that sells health insurance in Minnesota is required to be licensed by the state to ensure the business has adequate financing to cover future medical claims and to file their health insurance plans for review and approval by the Department of Commerce. These state regulatory requirements protect consumers. (Federal ERISA applies to self-insured employer plans.) 

“This is an unfortunate situation where an unlicensed company marketed unapproved health plans in Minnesota, and consumers purchased those products,” said Commerce Commissioner Grace Arnold. “We want consumers to know you have protections under state laws when you purchase or use health insurance.” 

Salvasen plans were offered through Salvasen Health and Triada. 

To avoid insurance scams, Minnesotans who need health insurance are encouraged to shop for coverage through MNsure, Minnesota’s official health insurance marketplace. All plans sold on MNsure.org are guaranteed to cover a set of essential health benefits and offer important consumer protections. MNsure offers these tips to avoid scams targeting Minnesotans when buying health insurance.

Commerce is here to help  

Consumers with questions, concerns or complaints about insurance can contact the Minnesota Department of Commerce Consumer Services Center at consumer.protection@state.mn.us or by phone at 651-239-1600 or 800-657-3602.

Get updates and news from the Minnesota Department of Commerce by following Commerce at mn.gov/commerce or @MNCommerce on social media. 

MEDIA CONTACTS: 

Mo Schriner, Minnesota Department of Commerce  mo.schriner@state.mn.us