Open enrollment is still 2½ months away for consumers in the narrow slice of the Minnesota health insurance market who buy private coverage on their own. But complaints about what they'll find when comparison shopping, either on MNsure or directly from insurers, are entirely predictable.

The number of people in Minnesota's individual market is too low to affordably spread the cost of expensive care required by a niche group. Many people who were in the state's high-risk health insurance pool because they were rejected by insurers are now among the roughly 5 percent of Minnesotans who buy plans on their own. The result: unacceptable year-over-year premium increases, which are expected again this fall.

Thankfully, many of those who buy coverage on MNsure will qualify for financial assistance to help pay monthly premiums. But relying on federal money to chase increasing premiums is a dubious strategy. Reforms are needed to make the Minnesota individual market work better.

The Star Tribune Editorial Board previously has called for a new state task force to drill down into potential solutions. A previous task force regrettably did not focus enough on the basic math problem — not enough individual customers to affordably spread the cost of people who need ongoing expensive care. A small task force with consumer advocates, economists, providers and insurers is needed.

The reaction to the editorial call for a task force underscores why one is needed. On social media, state Sen. Michelle Benson, R-Ham Lake, offered a proposal worthy of study: allowing consumers to access tax credits for plans purchased outside MNsure, which might help get more people into the market. The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce also weighed in with a commentary, criticizing an idea to bolster competition by allowing consumers to buy into the publicly run MinnesotaCare for working families.

The chamber suggested that this would cause medical providers to shift costs from the lower-reimbursing public program to private insurance holders. However, a growing number of studies cast doubt on that theory. The MinnesotaCare buy-in shouldn't be dismissed so offhandedly without looking at the data.

It's unrealistic to expect that individual market premiums can be brought down solely by payment reform — rewarding providers for quality. In response to an editorial writer, Gov. Mark Dayton expressed welcome interest Friday in convening a task force this fall. But the work should begin now to aid consumers.