May 2, 2024
At least two of the MMA’s top priorities continue to advance at the Capitol, as both the Senate and House health omnibus bills were referred to the floor for a vote after being heard in their respective finance committee.
The Senate omnibus bill, SF 4699 (Wiklund, DFL – Bloomington) was heard by the Senate Finance Committee on May 1. It includes the MMA’s physician wellness bill, which would prohibit health system credentialing applications from inquiring about an applicant’s past health conditions. Additionally, the bill includes the MMA’s request for state funding for a statewide campaign to reduce the stigma behind mental health treatment and encourage physicians to seek and obtain professional help to address career fatigue and wellness.
The Senate bill also includes a separate provision that applies current prior authorization law to the state’s public programs. Currently, Minnesota’s public programs are exempted from state prior authorization laws. The Senate bill is expected to go to the floor for a vote next week.
The House omnibus bill, HF 4571 (Liebling, DFL – Rochester), includes several portions of the MMA’s prior authorization reform language. The bill has yet to be heard in the Ways and Means Committee, but is expected to be heard next week.
October 23, 2025
The MMA, along with the University of Minnesota Medical School, will hold a virtual physician forum on November 5 at noon on “Health Professions Education and Minnesota's Rural Health Workforce.”
October 23, 2025
AMA staff have confirmed that, as of October 21, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has guided Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) to lift their temporary holds on Medicare fee-for-service claims impacted by provisions that expired on October 1 – including all Medicare fee-for-service claims in Minnesota.
October 23, 2025
For the second time in eight weeks, national grief expert David J. Schonfeld, MD, FAAP, visited Minneapolis. The first trip was days after the Annunciation Catholic Church and School shooting when he met with school leaders to help with the healing process. He returned October 21 to revisit the school and to meet with local healthcare providers at Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) to offer tips on dealing with the aftermath of crisis.