Friday afternoon, the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission (MSGC) released their 2026 Sentencing Guidelines, which set the new offense of Medicaid fraud of over $1,000,000 at Severity Level 8 thanks to Attorney General Ellison’s urging. Severity Level 8 carries a presumptive commitment to prison, no matter the criminal history of the offender. Other Severity Level 8 crimes include criminal vehicular homicide, 1st degree aggravated robbery, and 1st degree burglary.

“I am pleased that the state of Minnesota is now treating the theft of money from Medicaid with the severity it deserves. Medicaid fraud robs Minnesota taxpayers, and it steals money meant to provide healthcare to our low-income neighbors. It’s a disgraceful crime, which is why I spent over a year working to pass my bipartisan bill increasing criminal penalties for Medicaid fraud and giving my team more tools and resources to crack down on fraudsters.” – AG Ellison