March 31, 2022
After two days in committee, Gov. Tim Walz’s supplemental budget proposal for the Minnesota Department of Health has a revised focus on the state’s healthcare workforce.
HF 4398, which was heard this week in the House Health Finance and Policy Committee, aims to revitalize the state's disability, substance use disorder, housing, and older adult workforce. The proposal establishes a workforce incentive fund to cover retention payments, post-secondary costs, transportation, and childcare costs.
Deb Dittberner, MD, MBA, president of the Minesota Academy of Family Physicians (MAFP), testified in support of several provisions in the bill specifically focused on workforce. She noted her strong support for “funding new primary care residency training grants to establish rural physician residency programs to train future physicians in rural Minnesota.” She also supported “clinical health care training grants to clinical settings for medical students, pharmacists, dentists, advance practice nurses, and more.”
Dittberner also gave her support for community-based grants to expand and strengthen the community health workers workforce, specifically to address social determinants of health.
The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the committee’s omnibus bill.
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.