ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota's health insurance exchange is cutting its enrollment projections for the next two years.

The Star Tribune reports the exchange originally hoped to reach 152,000 by the end of 2017. MNsure's board approved a plan Thursday to cut that target down to 130,000.

The smaller enrollment target comes after the exchange fell short of this year's goal to sign up 67,000. MNsure says it had enrolled about 61,000 in private plans as of Sunday.

Those private plans are crucial to MNsure because fees from those signups fund its budget. The exchange will cut spending and tap into a budget reserve to offset lackluster enrollment.

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