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.
December 4, 2025
On December 4, Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) released its budget forecast for the 2026-27 biennium, showing a short-term budget surplus of $2.5 billion for the current biennium, but warned of a long-term $2.96 billion deficit for the 2028-29 biennium.
December 4, 2025
On December 2, the Vaccine Integrity Project (VIP) released a study on the safety, effectiveness, and public health impact of hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccinations at birth.
December 4, 2025
The Minnesota Department of Commerce (DOC) is now accepting public comments regarding proposed legislation to mandate insurance coverage of certain treatments.