February 24, 2022
A new study released by BlueCross BlueShield of Minnesota shows that as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual care claims increased dramatically from 2019 into 2020, with a year-over-year change of more than 3,700 percent.
The report, "Embracing Virtual Care: 2020 Trends and the Path Forward," also found that:
Traditional providers’ new virtual care offerings drove the majority of growth.
Virtual-only provider usage doubled, yet grew at a lower rate than traditional providers’ virtual offerings.
Behavioral health had the most rapid adoption of virtual care and maintained a high utilization.
Adoption patterns varied significantly by specialty. Some specialties, such as ophthalmology utilized almost no virtual care, and others, such as endocrinology, maintained a sizable percentage of virtual care throughout 2020.
Click here to see the full report.
April 9, 2026
An amended piece of legislation that would exempt buprenorphine from prior authorization (PA) was heard in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on April 9.
April 9, 2026
On April 9, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee heard a bill that would require coverage for psychiatric Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) services under Medical Assistance.
April 9, 2026
On April 9, the House Taxes Committee heard legislation focused on supporting the financial stability and ongoing operations of Hennepin Healthcare.