This bill establishes the Minnesota Health Plan (MHP), a comprehensive health care system designed to provide universal, affordable health care for all Minnesota residents. It outlines the creation of an overseeing Minnesota Health Board, a Minnesota Health Fund for financing, and an Office of Health Quality and Planning to assess service quality. The bill includes provisions for patient advocacy through an ombudsman’s office and financial oversight by an auditor general.

Key Provisions:

1. Coverage & Benefits:

   • Covers all Minnesota residents, ensuring they receive necessary medical, dental, vision, hearing, mental health, substance abuse, and long-term care.
   • Includes preventive care, emergency care, prescription drugs, medical equipment, and alternative therapies.
   • Eliminates copays, deductibles, and other cost-sharing for covered services.

2. Eligibility & Enrollment:

   • All Minnesota residents are automatically covered.
   • Provides out-of-state coverage for emergencies and reciprocal coverage for non-residents employed in Minnesota.
   • Establishes procedural safeguards ensuring continuous eligibility.

3. Funding & Cost Management:

   • Financed through income-based premiums and a business health tax.
   • Seeks federal waivers under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to redirect existing federal healthcare funding to the MHP.
   • Establishes a statewide health fund to manage revenues and payments.

4. Provider Payments & Regulations:

   • Non-institutional (e.g., independent physicians) and institutional (e.g., hospitals) providers will be paid through negotiated rates and budgets.
   • Prohibits billing patients for services covered under the MHP.

5. Governance & Oversight:

   • Establishes a 15-member Minnesota Health Board to oversee operations.
   • Divides Minnesota into regional health planning boards.
   • Creates an Ombudsman Office for Patient Advocacy and an Auditor General to ensure service accountability and prevent fraud.

6. Implementation & Transition:

   • Prohibits private health plans from covering services provided under MHP once the system is operational.
   • Calls for workforce and economic transition plans to support displaced workers from the private insurance sector.
   • Appropriates startup funding for initial implementation in fiscal year 2026.

Purpose:

This bill seeks to establish a publicly funded, single-payer health care system for Minnesota, reducing administrative costs, ensuring equitable access to health care, and prioritizing preventive care and patient choice.