Minnesota reports 116,000 jump in uninsured
Published 8:17 am Wednesday, February 21, 2018
ST. PAUL — Minnesota says the number of people without health insurance in the state jumped by 116,000 in the past two years.
The Minnesota Department of Health says the uninsured rate rose to 6.3 percent last year, up from 4.3 percent in 2015.
Around 349,000 Minnesotans don’t have coverage.
The department says the rise in uninsured Minnesotans corresponded with two private market trends — a decline in residents with coverage offered by employers and shrinking enrollment in the individual market.
Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton says Tuesday’s report shows that efforts by the Republican-controlled Congress and President Donald Trump to undermine the Obama administration’s health care overhaul and its goal of universal coverage are having destructive effects.