October 6, 2026
ST. PAUL – Following today’s release of health insurance rate increases of 10-21.4% in the small group and individual market, House GOP Floor Leader Harry Niska, R-Ramsey, and Commerce Chair Tim O’Driscoll, R-Sartell, released the following statement.
“Democrat mandates and mismanagement has driven up the cost of health care once again, forcing Minnesotans to bear the brunt of their irresponsibility,” said Niska. “They’ve allowed $9 billion to go out the door to fraudsters, piled mandates on top of mandates, and they expect Minnesotans to foot the bill. We were able to stop any new mandates this last biennium, and House Republicans will work hard next session to bring down costs for Minnesotans across the state.”
“The Walz Commerce Department acknowledged that House Republicans’ nation-leading reinsurance program held next year’s premium increases from skyrocketing 57.9%. We’ve authored bills to extend that program even longer, but Democrats voted no every time,” added O’Driscoll. “We’re feeling the pain from the last round of mandates Democrats passed, and the last two years saw them introduce more than a dozen new healthcare mandates they want to make Minnesotans pay for. That’s what they’d deliver in a Democrat majority next year – more mandates and higher healthcare costs.”
