Register Today: Physicians’ Day at the Capitol on March 19

December 18, 2025

Registration is now open for Physicians’ Day at the Capitol, when physicians and physicians-in-training from across the state gather at the Capitol to advocate on behalf of medicine.  

The annual get-together in the Capitol rotunda on March 19 will include a presentation from a key lawmaker and other physician leaders; scheduled meetings with the legislators in your district; and an opportunity to raise your voice on the MMA’s current legislative priorities 

“This event is a great opportunity for physicians and physicians-in-training to really make a difference at the Capitol,” says MMA President Lisa Mattson, MD. “Physicians, medical students and residents/fellows need to meet with their representatives and senators to make sure they understand how the legislation they are considering will affect patients and how we practice medicine in Minnesota.” 

The session, which begins February 17, is a shorter non-budget session, so legislative requests seeking new fiscal appropriations will be difficult to pass.  

The MMA’s 2026 legislative priorities include:  

1. Support efforts to minimize the impact of federal Medicaid changes and preserve coverage for Minnesotans. Signed into law on July 4, 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), is expected to lead, over the next 10 years, to as many as 220,000 Minnesotans losing insurance coverage (and up to 10 million nationally) and a loss of approximately $19 billion in federal Medicaid spending. 

2. Repeal the personal-belief exemption for school and child-care facility immunization requirements. Minnesota law currently allows an exemption from immunization for “conscientiously held beliefs of the parent or guardian of the minor child or emancipated person.” This provision makes Minnesota an outlier – only about 13 other states permit such an exemption – and is considered a contributing factor to Minnesota’s falling vaccination rates. 

3. Support evidence-based firearm safety laws. The MMA supports a statewide ban on the sale and possession of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. We also support a “safe storage” requirement in Minnesota, so firearms are required to be securely stored, unloaded, and kept separately from ammunition. In addition, we support revoking Minnesota statute that precludes local municipalities from enacting regulations related to firearms that are more restrictive than state law.  

4. Ensure clinician involvement in prior authorization reviews. This would prohibit the use of AI-exclusive adverse determinations/prior authorization denials. 

5. Expand current confidentiality protections for participation in a “wellness program” to include other healthcare professionals. The Treat Yourself First campaign, organized by the MMA and in coalition with other healthcare professionals, expects to offer well-being services and other resources. This provision will ensure that confidentiality protections currently available to physicians who utilize an MMA-provided wellness program are available to other healthcare professionals who may choose to access the services/resources. 

The MMA is partnering with several specialty societies to promote the event. For more information and to register visit: www.mnmed.org/2026PDAC.