February 29, 2024
HF 3578 (Bahner, DFL – Maple Grove) went through its second House committee when it was heard in the House Commerce Committee on February 28. Because the bill was heard on Physicians’ Day at the Capitol, the hearing was attended by many physicians and physicians-in-training wearing their white coats.
The bill prohibits prior authorization for services where a delay in care may lead to serious negative patient health outcomes. These include mental health treatment, substance-use disorder treatment, cancer treatment, and limits prior authorization to one-time only for treatment for chronic conditions, unless the standard of care changes. The bill also prohibits prior authorization on preventive health services, generic drugs, and biosimilars.
“I love being a doctor. The chance to help my patients is what keeps me going every day,” said MMA President Laurel Ries, MD, in her testimony. “But more and more interferences like prior authorization are making it more and more difficult to do what I love.”
The bill is also supported by numerous organizations including medical societies, hospital systems, patient advocacy groups, and other provider groups.
Opponents of the bill included lobbyists from the Minnesota Council of Health Plans and the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, who argued that prior authorization is a tool used to protect patients from unnecessary costs and potentially dangerous or unnecessary care.
The committee did not have time to discuss the bill. It was laid over for future discussion. The Senate companion bill is scheduled for its first hearing on Tuesday, March 5, in the Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee.
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.