IBM software will be used to determine Minnesotan's eligibility for the various programs to be offered through the online insurance platform, the Star Tribune reports. Virginia-based government services firm Maximus was awarded a $41 million contract last week to take the lead on building the new marketplace -- a component of the federal health care law.

The state on Wednesday announced it's receiving more money to continue work on a health insurance exchange, which is meant to help consumers compare and buy health insurance plans.

Several companies have put their prototypes online for the public to test. The health insurance exchange is a cornerstone of the federal health reform law and is meant to give people looking to enroll an easy way to compare and purchase plans.

The federal health care overhaul was aimed at providing affordable health insurance to millions of Americans who lack it. But a low-income group falls into a kind of no-man's land for affordable coverage, and Minnesota officials are considering an optional program to help fill this gap. But there is a huge unknown: cost.