House Panel Votes to Disband MNsure After Story of Death

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - The debate over MNsure's future is taking an emotional turn.

A House panel voted Monday to abandon MNsure and move to the federal exchange by 2017. That decision came after one man blamed the exchange for his wife's death from cancer earlier this year.

Charlie Dunker of Jackson says his wife died due in part to struggles finalizing MNsure coverage. Dunker says the confusion left them without insurance and made it hard to book appointments.

Gail Dunker was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007 and died Jan. 9. MNsure did not respond to a request for comment.

Rep. Matt Dean's bill goes the farthest among several Republican proposals to change MNsure. No Democrats on the committee voted for it.

Gov. Mark Dayton has proposed a study of MNsure's viability.