Gov wants task force study MNsure’s future

ST. PAUL (AP) — Gov. Mark Dayton is asking lawmakers to hold off on making major changes to the state’s health insurance exchange this year.

The Democratic governor is instead proposing a new task force to study MNsure’s long-term future. He sent a letter to legislative leaders Monday outlining his plan to set aside $500,000 in his revised budget plan due for release on Tuesday.

A spokeswoman for House Speaker Kurt Daudt says he received the letter earlier in the day.

Public pressure to change MNsure has mounted since the exchange’s rocky rollout in 2013. Republicans are calling for a handful of fixes up to and including scrapping MNsure and moving to the federal portal.

Dayton lists the state-to-federal switch as an option the task force should consider.