The Minnesota Department of Human Services plans to cancel state subsidized health coverage for 60,000 Minnesotans if they do not respond to requests for information.

The 60,000 people comprise about one third of a backlog of Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare renewals the department is processing.

Assistant Commissioner Chuck Johnson said those receiving notices will have 30 days to respond.

"We certainly want to ensure that anyone who is eligible for our programs continues to get health coverage," Johnson said. "But equally important, if they haven't responded to us we need to ensure that we're not providing coverage to people who are not eligible."

Another 120,000 cases are in various stages of the renewal process, DHS officials said. They hope to clear the backlog of MinnesotaCare renewals by Aug. 31.

According to the department, software problems for MNsure, the state's online health insurance marketplace, have hampered the renewal process.