[MMA News Now, April 19] The MMA continues to work with legislators to restore health-care funding to key programs. 

On April 16, the MMA sent a letter to the leaders of both the House and Senate’s Health and Human Services (HHS) committees outlining the MMA’s positions on key issues in the HHS budget conference committee. The MMA asked the conference committee to:

• Support language requesting the University of Minnesota Board of Regents to increase funding for rural primary care residency programs in next year's budget request.

• Use a portion of the state’s share of the $73 million overpayment from health plans serving Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare enrollees to increase reimbursements to physicians and other health care providers who deliver direct care to these programs’ participants.

• Dedicate $1 million to Medical Education Research Costs program to offset the significant cuts that took place in the 2011 budget bill.

• Remove language that would fund a Prepaid Medical Assistance Program audit and the study of radiation therapy facilities out of the Health Care Access Fund.

Conference committee leaders have been given preliminary numbers of how much money they have to spend in the bill and hope to finish their work the evening of April 19. House and Senate leadership are continuing to meet with Gov. Mark Dayton to discuss the issue further in an attempt to pass a bill he can sign.