Feds ease restrictions that were causing MNsure lockouts

MNsure officials say the federal government has eased security restrictions that locked people out of the state's new online health insurance site after they made unsuccessful attempts to create a new account.

In the past two days, some consumers said they couldn't create accounts on Minnesota's new health insurance marketplace. MNsure officials said Wednesday that consumers who made three unsuccessful attempts at creating accounts were booted off the system for a week under federal security rules.

MNsure Board Chairman Brian Beutner says the problem stems from the federal government, not MNsure.

"The fed system has been so overwhelmed that people are timing out and when they get timed out it's registering as a miss," Beutner said.

MNsure officials now say consumers can now make up to six unsuccessful attempts before they are unable to continue. The revised lockout lasts 24 hours instead of a week.

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