Senator Paul Utke (R-Park Rapids) and his colleagues in the Minnesota Senate passed a series of bills that fulfill their promises to reform health care through increased transparency, access, and affordability. The reform bills were passed with virtually unanimous support. The comprehensive approach focuses on health care facility fee disclosure to patients, transparency in hospital billing practices, direct primary care arrangements, and pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) licensure and reform. The Senate passed the series of bills as separate, individual proposals.
“Increasing health care access and affordability for Minnesota families continues to be one of our top priorities in the Minnesota Senate,” said Senator Utke. “With the
Highlights of the legislation include:
- Health Care Facility Fee Disclosure: the bill requires provider-based clinics to disclose facility fees to patients that may result in higher out-of-pocket costs. The facility must also post this information in visible locations and on its website.
- Hospital Billing Transparency: the bill requires hospitals to provide patients an itemized description of their billed health care charges within 30 days of discharge.
- Direct Primary Care Service Agreement: the bill creates a framework for a flexible, new way for doctors and patients to work together on a scope of Primary Care Service as agreed to in their service contract. This is a contract with your health provider and does not involve insurance providers.
- Minnesota Pharmacy Benefit Manager Licensure and Regulation: the legislation aims to increase transparency and affordability in pharmaceuticals.
- Reinsurance: legislation renews Minnesota’s highly successful program that stabilized and lowered health insurance rates for Minnesotans in the individual market by at least 20 percent.