Senate Passes Omnibus Health Bill, House Bill Up Next Week

April 20, 2023

On April 19, the Minnesota Senate passed the omnibus health and human services bill that includes several of MMA’s legislative priorities on a 35-32 vote. 

The bill includes language to: prohibit insurers and pharmacy benefit manufacturers from changing the formulary of a drug during a patient’s contract year; add a two-year extension for coverage of audio-only telehealth; approve medical assistance (MA) coverage for recuperative care services; and authorize the work needed to develop a statewide registry for POLST (Provider Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment) forms. 

The bill also includes grant funding to address healthcare worker safety, language to repeal current statutes intended to obstruct access to reproductive healthcare services, and updates to the all-payer claims database (APCD), which the MMA supports. 

Plus, the bill includes the creation of a Health Care Affordability Commission that would establish and enforce healthcare spending limits. While the MMA supports efforts to improve planning for healthcare spending, the language would authorize the commission to issue “improvement plans” and regulatory and civil penalties for healthcare entities that are not compliant. The MMA has urged lawmakers to amend language to focus on efforts to improve healthcare planning without punitive mechanisms. 

In addition, the bill includes efforts to expand access to affordable health coverage. It expands coverage for MinnesotaCare, provides coverage for non-documented children, and provides subsidies to encourage Minnesotans to purchase coverage with lower deductibles. It also includes efforts to further expand MinnesotaCare to more Minnesotans through what is referred to as the “public option” beginning in 2027. 

The House omnibus health bill is expected to be heard in the Ways and Means Committee on April 21, with action on the House floor scheduled for a vote next week.