Minnesota’s health exchange on brink of collapse

Rate increases up to 110
percent, providers jumping ship

For now, Minnesota still has its own state-run health insurance exchange.

That could change.

And, should change says southeast Minnesota state rep., Republican Greg Davids, especially after news that premiums on the exchange will increase next year in some cases by 110 percent.

It’s time to move to the federal exchange and dump MNSure, Davids believes.

“There’s still a lot of problems there because the access is still limited,” he admitted. “We’ve spent over $400 million of Minnesotan taxpayer money (on Minnesota’s exchange) and we have nothing to show for it.

“This is what a collapse looks like. This is devastating for Minnesotans.”

The big premium increases come after all of the insurance providers on the exchange threatened to leave. The state’s insurance regulators says law changes will be needed to prevent a market collapse in Minnesota.  

“This is the biggest blunder in state government history as far as cost, as far as not being effective whatsoever,” Davids said.

The state’s insurance commissioner says the individual health insurance market is in an “emergency situation.”