ST. PAUL — An employee for the state’s new online health insurance exchange accidentally released confidential information on hundreds of insurance agents.

MNsure officials say the employee sent an email to an Apple Valley insurance broker’s office Thursday that contained Social Security numbers, addresses and other private information of more than 2,400 insurance agents.

An MNsure security manager called the insurance broker, Jim Koester, and had him delete the file from his computer hard drive. Koester said the incident raises questions about the security of MNsure client information.

Users of the exchange will need to provide confidential information to a federal hub where eligibility for public health programs or tax credits will be reviewed.

MNsure plans to notify the insurance agents whose confidential information was released.