MMA at the Legislature
2014 Report Card
Replacing Provider Peer Grouping (PPG)
Status: PASSED
Provider Peer Grouping is indefinitely suspended and replaced by new uses for the All Payer Claims
Database. PPG, launched in 2008, was intended to report data on clinic and hospital cost and quality
measures but program flaws and inaccurate, old data hurt its usefulness and utility. New uses for the
APCD will focus on cost, quality, and utilization variation, reducing readmission rates, evaluation of
health care homes, and study of new payment models. A task force with physician and provider
representation will discuss further potential uses.
Ensuring an integrated, team approach to health care delivery
Status: AGREEMENT REACHED
Following difficult negotiations with the bill’s advocates, an agreement was reached where the MMA
and others removed active opposition to the bill. Under the new law, many APRNs will be allowed to
practice without a collaborative practice agreement or written prescribing agreement. The new law
does, however, require a minimum of 2,080 hours of practice in an integrated clinic setting before
independent licensure can be granted. The bill further clarifies that CRNAs treating acute and chronic
pain must still practice in collaboration with a physician. A new advisory panel on which a number of
physicians will serve is established to help provide guidance.
Prohibiting Minor Access to Artificial Tanning
Status: PASSED
Under current law, adolescents under 15 years may use artificial tanning facilities with a parent’s
consent, and 16 and 17 year olds can use them freely. Acknowledging rising skin cancer rates, legislators
passed an MMA-supported effort to bar all minor access to artificial tanning facilities.
Restoring Newborn Screening
Status: PASSED
Legislative and judicial actions in recent years dramatically hurt Minnesota’s previously nation-leading
newborn screening program. Under a law passed this year, arbitrary time frames associated with the
storage of samples and test results are repealed, and development of new tests is once again allowed.
Regulating E-cigarettes
Status: PASSED
While the MMA and many others supported a comprehensive indoor ban on their use,
legislators took great strides to reduce exposure to these new, untested devices. New law bars
the use of e-cigarettes in many indoor areas (including clinics, hospitals, government buildings,
schools, and day care facilities). The law further imposes new regulations on the retailing of the
products to prevent their use by minors, and requires that they be sold in childproof packaging.
Fighting opioid abuse
Status: PASSED
Legislators took several steps to reduce the harm of opioids in Minnesota. Under new law, the
Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) will be able to better serve as a tool for prescribers by
proactively sending reports of suspicious patient patterns. The law also allows a prescribers name to be
included in the PMP record. Another law eases restrictions placed on first responders to allow them to
carry and administer opioid antagonists to prevent overdose deaths. That law also includes several
“Good Samaritan” provisions that provide some immunity to those who seek help for overdose victims.
Ensuring provider tax repeal
Status: ACCOMPLISHED
No serious effort was put forward to extend the repeal of the provider tax beyond its current sunset
date. The repeal remains on track for December 31, 2019.
Aligning Minnesota’s data privacy laws
Status: NOT HEARD
While the MMA and its allies secured strong authors and bipartisan support for this proposal to ease
sharing of clinically appropriate data among providers, the bill did not receive a hearing.
Contact:
Eric Dick
MMA Manager of State Legislative Affairs
edick@mnmed.org
612/362-3732