May 5, 2022
Following a lengthy debate, the House Health and Human Services (HHS) omnibus bill, SF 4410, passed the House floor on a 69-64 party-line vote on May 3. The bill includes several items backed by the MMA including:
Language to limit the ability of insurers and pharmacy benefit managers from forcing patients to change medications in the middle of their enrollment year because the insurer decides to alter its drug formularies.
Language directing the health commissioner to study and develop a recommendation for a statewide registry for patients who have a Provider Order for Life-sustaining Treatment (POLST) form.
Funds for new primary care rural residency training grants.
Protections to ensure patients with chronic pain have access to needed opioids.
Authorization for the health department to collect non-claims-based payment information to help gain a better understanding of how healthcare is being paid for in Minnesota.
Improved coverage of tobacco cessation services in the state’s public programs.
The Senate previously passed its version of the HHS omnibus bill – a significantly smaller bill. Because the language in the two bills do not match, a conference committee will meet and hash out the differences. Senate conferees include Sens. Jim Abeler (R-Anoka), Paul Utke (R-Park Rapids), Mark Koran (R-North Branch), Michelle Benson (R-Ham Lake) and John Hoffman (DFL-Champlin). House conferees include Reps. Tina Liebling (DFL-Rochester), Jennifer Schultz (DFL-Duluth), Aisha Gomez (DFL-Minneapolis), Dave Pinto (DFL-St. Paul), and Tony Albright (R-Prior Lake).
The conference committee is scheduled to begin meeting on May 9. They need to reach agreement before the Legislature adjourns, which will be before May 23.
May 29, 2025
As the Legislature works to complete its work on the state’s two-year budget, another deadline is looming. Legislators are required to pass a balanced budget before the end of the fiscal year—June 30, 2025. If they don’t meet that deadline, the state will begin a partial shutdown.
May 29, 2025
Registration has opened for the Empowering Physicians: A Night of Reflection and Engagement event, featuring best-selling author Elisabeth Rosenthal, MD.
May 29, 2025
The AMA is encouraging physicians to contact their U.S. senators and urge them to revise the reconciliation bill passed recently by the U.S. House of Representatives. While the bill includes language that would stabilize Medicare physician payments, it also threatens to cripple Medicaid and CHIP.