New Plans Outpace Renewals For MNsure Signups

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Nearly 14,000 Minnesotans have signed up for coverage through the state's health insurance exchange for the first time.

Combined with about 10,000 renewed plans, MNsure has enrolled roughly 24,000 private health plans. State officials offered the first glimpse at its Wednesday board meeting of how many new registrations versus renewals they've netted since signups started last month.

MNsure is banking on 37,000 residents to renew their 2014 coverage and another 30,000 new plans. Those numbers are crucial to the exchange's budget because MNsure takes a fee off private plans to fund its operations.

As of Tuesday, MNsure had signed up 49,336 Minnesotans for health insurance. About half of those are in public programs.

The deadline to sign up for coverage effective Jan. 1 is Saturday.