St. Paul, Minn. – Today, the Minnesota Department of Commerce announced final 2026 premium rates for the individual and small group health insurance markets. The rate hikes represent the highest premium increases since 2017, and are exacerbated by the refusal of President Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans to extend premium tax credits.
Representative Robert Bierman (DFL – Apple Valley), DFL co-chair of the House Health Finance and Policy Committee, released the following statement:
“Everybody deserves affordable health care, but rising costs are unsustainable and hurting families. Because Republicans are letting valuable federal tax credits expire, Minnesotans in the private insurance market are facing premium increases as high as 50%. Farmers, small business owners, older adults, and families in rural communities will be hit the hardest. That is unconscionable.
“Minnesotans are already strapped financially, between paying more for energy, groceries, homeowners' insurance, and countless other items due to President Trump's reckless tariffs. With higher premiums and fewer people having coverage, health care will become more expensive and less accessible for all of us.
“DFLers are fighting for solutions to allow Minnesotans to afford their lives- and we as a state can’t afford to roll the dice on ripping away health care access.”
Representative Kaohly Her (DFL – Saint Paul), DFL co-chair of the House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee, released the following statement:
“Donald Trump and Republicans are making health care more expensive so they can cement new tax giveaways for billionaires. Because the GOP is letting premium tax credits expire, some Minnesotans are looking at premium increases as high as 50% next year. These skyrocketing rates are completely unsustainable and will hurt families, farmers, seniors, and small business owners. The increases are on top of the GOP’s cruel action earlier this year to rip away Medicaid from tens of thousands of Minnesotans, including some of the most vulnerable in our communities.
“If Minnesotans can’t afford their premiums, they will likely go without insurance, which would reverse years of progress in getting more Minnesotans coverage since the ACA launched. A drop in enrollees would lead to fewer Minnesotans receiving care when they need it, put more pressure on hospitals from people forced to seek care in the Emergency Room, and ultimately, higher health care prices for everyone. Plus, with fewer people enrolled, the stability of the entire private insurance market could end up at risk of collapse – an unthinkable outcome.
“Now, instead of addressing this crisis, Republicans are forcing a federal government shutdown because they’re unwilling to make health care more affordable. This is the clearest proof yet that they stand with the wealthiest among us, not the middle class. Instead, DFLers are committed to making life more affordable for working families as they face higher prices for food, energy, housing, and health care."