What can Minnesota do about rising health care costs?

The Affordable Care Act is at a crisis point in many states around the country — and its future has become a big issue in the election.

Premiums are rising and insurers are bailing. Here in Minnesota, people who buy individual or family health plans are facing huge price increases this coming year.

Plans sold on MNsure or directly to consumers will have average rate hikes of as much as two thirds. The price jumps affect only a small portion of Minnesota's population, but the size of the hikes has sparked a political battle over what to do about it. Legislative leaders are contemplating an early session to tackle the issue.

To start the program, Kaiser Health News Senior Correspondent Julie Rovner gave some national perspective and some thoughts on what individual states can or can't do about the problem. Then state Sens. Tony Lourey, DFL-Kerrick, and Michelle Benson, R-Ham Lake, talked about possible solutions to the rising costs of health care.

To hear the entire conversation, use the audio player above.