MINNEAPOLIS-Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) released the following statement after House Republicans passed the American Health Care Act:

"In their first major vote under President Trump, House Republicans pushed through a bill that will increase insurance premiums and deductibles, slash hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicaid, and leave millions of working people without affordable healthcare coverage - to finance a $1,000,000,000,000 tax cut for the top 2% of households. Everyday Americans will be forced to pick up this tab, and they'll pay for it with their health, their security, and in some cases, with their lives.

"Calling this bill the "American Health Care Act" is a cruel irony - 24 million Americans will likely lose their coverage. Hundreds of millions of people who get their insurance through their employer could see their plans slashed. Seniors and people with pre-existing conditions will be priced out of their insurance plans. And as many as one million Minnesotans who have received affordable care through the expansion of Medicaid, essential health benefits, or the exchange will be worse off.

"This vote is a message to every American who has ever struggled to pay for healthcare. For once, Republicans are being candid.

"To the expecting mother whose insurance won't pay for her maternity care and delivery because her state was granted a waiver on covering essential health benefits, Republicans say: perhaps you shouldn't have gotten pregnant.

"To the parents in Minneapolis working multiple minimum wage jobs with no employer health benefits and relying on Medicaid to pay for their children's checkups, Republicans say: you may have to choose between your children's health and paying your rent.

"To the person born with a chronic illness, like my constituent Michael, born without eyes, who relies on Medicaid to help him live in his community, Republicans say: pull yourself up by your bootstraps.

"And to every single Minnesotan who has gotten insurance because of the Affordable Care Act, Republicans say: if you can't afford to pay for health insurance yourself, you can't afford to live a healthy life.

"In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson wrote about 'Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.' There's a reason life comes first. It's hard to experience liberty or enjoy the pursuit of happiness if you aren't healthy enough, or even alive, to do it.

"I've never thought healthcare should be a product to be bought and sold, taken for granted by some and out of reach for many, many others. Healthcare should be a right granted to every person. And while Republicans clearly don't agree, we won't stop fighting for working families - we never will."

Read this original document at: https://ellison.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-ellison-statement-on-republican-health-care-reform-bill

OLDWICK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of “a” (Excellent) of The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company (Wawanesa Mutual). At the same time, AM Best has affirmed the FSR of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term ICR of “a” (Excellent) of Wawanesa Life Insurance Company (Wawanesa Life). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. Both companies are domiciled in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

The ratings of Wawanesa Mutual reflect its balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM).

Wawanesa Mutual’s balance sheet strength is underpinned by its risk-adjusted capitalization, which was at the strongest level at year-end 2025, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR). Wawanesa Mutual’s risk-adjusted capitalization reflects growth in its equity over the long-term. The company’s balance sheet strength is further supported by its conservative underwriting leverage, sound liquidity and a comprehensive reinsurance program. Offsetting balance sheet strength factors include areas of adverse reserve development and elevated common stock leverage. Wawanesa Mutual has a track record of adequate operating performance.

Viewed over a five-year period, Wawanesa Mutual has demonstrated improvement in underwriting, reporting four years of underwriting profitability. Underwriting performance in 2025 benefited from improvements in personal auto with positive trends in Ontario and Quebec. The underwriting performance turnaround in 2025 also reflects a series of targeted initiatives to improve claims and pricing. The company introduced a dedicated claims insights team and fraud analytics team, implemented management actions and process changes to stabilize reserve volatility, incorporated a wildfire grading index, and continued to invest heavily in pricing sophistication.

The ratings of Wawanesa Life reflect its balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate ERM.

Wawanesa Life’s balance sheet strength is reflective of the strongest level of risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by BCAR, and supportive of its business, insurance and investment risks due to organic earnings growth, low use of reinsurance, and overall good credit quality of invested assets. Wawanesa Life has reported net income in four of the past five years; however, there is variability by business segment with individual life business providing stable, profitable earnings, while the group business has been more volatile. Performance differences between segments are notable with the individual products generating long term earnings, providing resilience and financial strength across market cycles, while the group insurance segment has been weaker and more volatile. Wawanesa Life receives rating enhancement given its strategic role in providing life, annuity, accident and sickness and disability insurance products, which complement Wawanesa Mutual’s property/casualty product offerings.

This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best’s website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best’s Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best's Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Best’s Credit Ratings, Best’s Performance Assessments, Best’s Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best’s Ratings & Assessments.

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View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260421789611/en/

Michael Buckley
Senior Financial Analyst

+1 908 882 1677

[email protected]

Rosemarie Mirabella
Director

+1 908 882 2125

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Christopher Sharkey
Associate Director, Public Relations

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Al Slavin
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Source: AM Best