March 24, 2022
Legislation that would update and improve the healthcare data the state collects passed the House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee on March 22.
The legislation, HF3696 (Rep. Jennifer Schultz, DFL-Duluth), updates the state’s All-Payer Claims Database (APCD) and directs the Department of Health to begin collecting payment information that is not included in claims. Minnesota’s APCD currently collects payment information from insurance claims from all payers in order to conduct research to better understand how healthcare is paid for. However, APCD data is missing a large portion of payments as more reimbursements for value-based payments are not included in insurance claims.
The legislation was developed by a large coalition of primary care providers, led by the Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians (MAFP). Deb Dittberner, MD, MAFP’s president, testified in strong support of the bill, stressing the importance of value-based payments to support primary care services.
“There are several non-claims-based payments that affect the way that I, as a physician, and others in my practice provide care for patients,” Dittberner said. “Value-based payments support physicians in taking on patients with increased complexity, such as multiple chronic diseases, which take more time and effort outside of routine office visits to effectively manage their diseases.”
The bill was referred back to the House Health Finance and Policy Committee where it likely will be included in the omnibus health and human services bill that will be developed by the committee.
August 20, 2026
A physician and Olympian will give an inspirational address as part of this year's Empowering Physicians event on Friday, September 25, at the Minneapolis Institute of Art.
August 20, 2026
Minnesota received some disturbing news this week from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as data shows that for the 2025-2026 school year, vaccination rates decreased and non-medical exemptions increased.
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On August 11, a federal appellate court sided with the Texas Medical Association (TMA) argument that the way the No Surprises Act’s qualifying payment amount (QPA) is calculated has historically favored payers in arbitration.