Purpose of the Bill

The bill aims to update and enhance the evaluation process for mandated health benefit proposals in Minnesota. It seeks to provide a comprehensive framework for assessing the potential impacts of these proposals on patients and the healthcare system before they are enacted into law.

Main Provisions

1. Definitions and Scope: The bill updates definitions related to mandated health benefit proposals, detailing what constitutes a proposal and clarifying exclusions. It also defines relevant terms such as "commissioner," "enrollee," and "health plan."

2. Evaluation Process: It outlines a detailed process for evaluating mandated health benefit proposals. The evaluations must consider various aspects, including scientific and medical information, potential benefits or harms, public health and economic impacts, and the prevalence and insurance availability of the health benefit.

3. Role of the Commissioner: The commissioner of commerce, along with other relevant commissioners, must conduct these evaluations. They are tasked with considering public input, conducting research, and summarizing key findings. Evaluations are to be published on a public website.

4. Notification and Timelines: Legislators intending to introduce or amend a bill with a mandated health benefit proposal must notify the appropriate committee chair. Evaluations should be prioritized and conducted according to an established timeline, with completed evaluations required before legislative action.

5. Conformity Clause: Proposals enacted into law are effective even if they don't fully comply with the set evaluation process. This adds flexibility to enact laws as needed.

6. Form Adoption: By July 1, 2026, the commissioner must develop forms to streamline the notification process for legislators and ensure all required information is collected for evaluations.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Detailed Evaluation Requirements: The bill expands on the specifics of how mandated health benefit proposals should be evaluated, adding more comprehensive criteria and involving multiple commissioners in the process.

• Public Accessibility and Timing: It mandates that evaluations be made publicly accessible online within 30 days of their completion, ensuring transparency in the legislative process.

• Notification Process: Introduces a structured notification process involving specific forms for legislators and committees to ensure timely evaluations.

Relevant Terms

mandated health benefit, evaluation process, health plan, enrollee, commissioner, public health, economic impact, commissioner of commerce, medical equipment, insurance coverage, transparency, conformity.