MMA Advocacy Efforts During Legislative Session Will Lead to Fewer Administrative Hassles for Minnesota Physicians

May 23, 2024

The Minnesota Medical Association (MMA) guided three of its top priorities across the finish line this legislative session. Bills on prior authorization reform, physician well-being and addressing addiction through harm reduction, now await Gov. Tim Walz’s signature.   

“Overall, we are very pleased with the session,” said MMA President Laurel Ries, MD. “Getting prior authorization reform passed was our no. 1 goal and took a lot of work. When these changes are implemented in 2026, patients and physicians will have to deal with fewer administrative hassles to get the care that they need. That’s a huge victory for how we practice medicine in Minnesota.”   

Here are some highlights of the prior authorization reform measures:  

• Prior authorization laws now apply to all payers, including Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare.  
• A prior authorization received for a chronic condition does not expire unless the treatment changes.  
• Prior authorization is prohibited on non-medication treatments for cancer, outpatient mental health, and substance-use disorder. Prior authorizations for the medications for these treatments must be decided within 48 hours.  
• Prior authorizations are prohibited for preventive services, pediatric hospice care, and for pediatric neonatal abstinence programs.  
• Prior authorization companies are required to annually report to the Minnesota Department of Health data on how often they use prior authorization, how often they approve, and how often they deny.  
• Prior authorization companies are required to utilize an automated process that is consistent with the new federal requirements that identifies whether a prior authorization is required and what documentation is needed.  

The MMA also devoted much of its advocacy efforts to addressing physician wellness. The final bill prohibits credentialing applications from asking about past medical conditions that have no impact on the ability to provide care. These questions have discouraged physicians and physicians-in-training from seeking the help that they need because of fear of having to disclose this information. The bill also protects any record of a person's participation in SafeHaven from discovery, subpoena, or a reporting requirement to the licensing board, unless the person voluntarily provides for written release of the information. SafeHaven is a program to help reduce physician burnout by providing counseling and other help with work/life balance.

The third successful MMA priority includes addressing addiction through harm reduction, instead of simply continuing to criminalize illicit drug use. This year, the Legislature established the Task Force on Holistic and Effective Responses to Illicit Drug Use, for which the MMA has a seat. It is tasked with developing “recommendations for a holistic and effective response to illicit drug use and the illicit drug trade…that reduces and, where possible, prevents harm and expands individual and community health, safety, and autonomy.”  

Two other MMA priorities did not advance. They included:  

• Limiting mid-year formulary changes for prescription drugs. This would have ensured that patients wouldn’t be forced by their insurer to change medications until the end of their health insurance contract. It also would have required that health plans use “real-time benefit tools” to inform practitioners whether a prescribed drug is covered. If patients are obligated to remain on their insurance through their contract year, health insurance companies should not be allowed to change coverage in the middle of the contract year.
• Implementing and funding an electronic registry for POLST (Provider Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) forms. This is needed to ensure that patients’ wishes are followed by all physicians and other providers at end-of-life. Currently, providers only have access to paper copies of these critical medical orders. A statewide database is needed so that these forms can be accessed at any time.

“We’re disappointed that all of our priorities didn’t move forward this session, but that won’t deter us from continuing to advocate for them and other legislation that helps improve the practice of medicine in Minnesota,” Ries said.   
 
About the Minnesota Medical Association  
The Minnesota Medical Association is a non-profit professional association representing physicians, residents and medical students. With more than 10,000 members, the MMA is dedicated to being the indispensable and unified voice of physicians for advancing the practice of medicine, the profession and patient health.