Legislation to Create Commission for Equitable Health Care Services Heard in Senate Committees

April 11, 2024

Legislation that would establish a Commission for Equitable Health Care Services in Minnesota was heard in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and the State and Local Government and Veterans Committee on April 9. 

“This is legislation to change the trajectory of our healthcare system,” said Sen. Erin Murphy (DFL – St. Paul), the bill’s chief author. “There is so much public funding in our healthcare system, whether it is through tax preferences, subsidies for insurance companies, reimbursements, payments, or grants, there are many ways in which public dollars are flowing through our healthcare system. It isn’t always clear where those public dollars are going.” 

The commission would be comprised of members of the public from across the state with the aim of developing a plan to provide meaningful availability of healthcare services to Minnesota residents by reviewing activities of healthcare entities that receive state funds. Among the duties of the commission would be to hold regional hearings, investigate “the financial and policy instruments employed by corporate health care entities,” look at the geographic distribution of providers, and make recommendations on “transparency of ownership of health care facilities and systems and the role of private equity in the health care market.” 

In addition to the commission, the bill establishes “commission advisors,” one of whom would be appointed by the MMA. 

A second portion of the bill (SF 4346) requires healthcare entities that receive state money to certify to the state auditor that they are using state funds according to how the Legislature intended, and for the state auditor to examine the financial records of these healthcare entities if the commission requests such an examination. The legislation empowers the state auditor to review the records of a healthcare entity if it has received an eligible state expenditure in the prior calendar year.  

Legislators raised concerns with the new authority of the state auditor, especially over independently owned smaller practices.  

The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in a future omnibus bill. It has not currently moved in the House.