Legislative Session Starts; MMA to Focus on 5 Major Issues
February 19, 2026
State lawmakers returned to St. Paul on February 17 for the second half of the 2025-2026 biennium.
November 9, 2023
The MMA, Stratis Health, the Minnesota Shared Decision-Making Collaborative and the Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians (MAFP) will co-present a virtual forum titled “Opioid Prescribing: Replacing the Contract with Conversation for Better Outcomes” from noon to 1 pm on Tuesday, December 5.
Many health systems use “contracts” with patients as part of opioid prescribing for pain management, presenting the risks and asking patients to agree to such things as urine drug screening and showing pill usage. However, growing literature points toward the effectiveness of shared decision-making conversations over contracts. This shift from contracts to working with patients to understand their options is seen as a better way to help them make decisions based on informed consent.
The session will include presentations by: Kurt DeVine MD, FASAM; Joe Bianco, MD; and Bill Adams, a patient advocate. Jennifer Lundblad, PhD, MBA, president & CEO, Stratis Health, will serve as moderator.
The session will include:
A summary of the evidence.
An example of how a Minnesota health system has shifted away from patient contracts for opioid prescribing.
A patient role-play in how the conversation approach would look and feel.
Discussion of alternative approaches to a contract and how to “replace the contract with conversation.”
Opportunity for participant Q&A
For more information, click here.
Click here to register.
February 19, 2026
State lawmakers returned to St. Paul on February 17 for the second half of the 2025-2026 biennium.
February 19, 2026
On the second day of the legislative session, MMA leadership was already advocating for one of its top priorities - minimizing the harm of federal changes to Medical Assistance (MA).
February 19, 2026
Legislation to prohibit the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in prior authorization requirements was heard in the House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee on February 19.