Minnesota Sees Surge in Residents Without Health Insurance

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) _ Minnesota has seen a surge in the number of people without health insurance.

The Minnesota Department of Health says the uninsured rate rose from 4.3 percent in 2015 to 6.3 percent last year, leaving around 349,000 Minnesotans without coverage. That means there were about 116,000 more uninsured Minnesotans compared with 2015.

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.