Report- Smaller Health Insurance Increase for Employer Plans

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The majority of Minnesota residents aren't experiencing the hefty health insurance rate hikes that shoppers who buy their coverage individually will see.

That's according to new health premium data analyzed by the Kaiser Family Foundation and released by the federal government on Wednesday. The data shows health care premiums for families nationwide with coverage through employers jumped just 3.4 percent in 2016.

That slower growth stands in stark contrast to the expected increases for plans on the individual market sold on MNsure and directly to customers. Rates in Minnesota's individual market are poised to jump between 36 percent and 66 percent for 2017.

More than half of Minnesota residents are covered by employer plans. Just 5 percent have insurance through the individual market.