House advances bill to scrap MNsure

ST. PAUL — Minnesota would scrap MNsure and move to the federally run health-insurance exchange under a bill that cleared the House on Friday.

The measure would require the state to switch to the federal exchange beginning Jan. 1, 2019. Supporters say the time has come to get rid of MNsure.

"This should have been put out of its misery much sooner. It would have saved hundreds of millions of dollars," said Rep. Duane Quam, R-Byron.

But Democrats pushed back, arguing it makes no sense to get rid of the state-run health insurance exchange at a time of such uncertainty at the federal level. Rep. Tina Liebling, DFL-Rochester, said the GOP plan not only gets rid of MNsure but also cuts funding for counties to double-check whether people are eligible for public health problems. She compared the Republican approach to someone trying to turn a tricycle into a bicycle.

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