HealthPartners and Essentia Health Agree to Merge
October 1, 2026
On September 29, HealthPartners and Essentia Health announced that their boards of directors have approved an affiliation agreement to combine their organizations.
April 9, 2026
On April 8, the Senate House and Human Services Committee heard an MMA-supported bill, that would require health plans to cover infertility diagnosis, treatment, and medically necessary fertility preservation services.
The MMA submitted a letter of support for SF 1961 (Maye Quade, DFL – Apple Valley), emphasizing the importance of access to fertility services as part of comprehensive medical care. Without insurance coverage, infertility treatments and fertility preservation services can be prohibitively expensive, placing them out of reach for many patients, particularly those already facing serious illnesses. The bill aligns with established medical standards and national policy guidance by helping ensure that patients can access necessary care without undue financial burden.
The bill was passed and referred to the Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee.
The House companion, HF 1758 (Kotyza-Witthuhn, DFL – Eden Prairie) was heard on April 9 in the House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee.
A similar bill that would require health plan coverage of infertility diagnosis and treatment, HF 4609 (Kotyza-Witthuhn, DFL – Eden Prairie) was heard in the House Health Finance and Policy Committee on April 8. The MMA submitted a letter of support.
HF 4609 was laid over for possible inclusion in a future omnibus bill.
October 1, 2026
On September 29, HealthPartners and Essentia Health announced that their boards of directors have approved an affiliation agreement to combine their organizations.
October 1, 2026
On October 1, two significant provisions of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA, 2025) affecting non-citizen adults on Medical Assistance (MA; Minnesota Medicaid) take effect.
October 1, 2026
Five physicians, two physicians-in-training, a state senator, and two firearm safety advocacy organizations were all honored with MMA awards, as part of the association’s Empowering Physicians Event on September 25.