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Republican state lawmakers said Friday that proposed big premium hikes for people who buy insurance on the individual market should lead to a shutdown of MNsure, the online health exchange.

 for their plans ranging from 40 to 67 percent on average.

The hikes would hit a small fraction of Minnesota's population, people who buy their own coverage, and don't have employer-sponsored health insurance.

MNsure, the state's insurance marketplace, should be scrapped, said House Speaker Kurt Daudt, R-Zimmerman.

"The first thing we need to do is shut down MNSure, but we also need to talk and have real conversations about what we can put in place that will help drive costs down, and help Minnesotans get affordable, flexible coverage that we know is going to help them and their families," Daudt said.

Democrats say they have tried some intervening steps, but they can't get House Republicans to agree to the changes, said Sen. Tony Lourey, DFL- Kerrick, who chairs the health and human services budget committee.

"Getting rid of MnSure and going to a federal exchange doesn't do anything to help with the individual market," he said. "These are not real solutions."

Loury said the DFL-controlled Senate has offered suggestions to reduce costs for the approximately 300,00 people in the individual market, including pooling some smaller insurance markets, offering additional subsidies and letting some buyers into public programs, but Republicans have blocked them.

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Tim Nelson

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Republicans say MNsure should be scrapped, but Democrats contend that would not fix the underlying issues that are causing prices to spike in the individual health insurance market.

Republicans say price hikes should doom MNsure

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