Minnesota

Status of reform effort: On February 8, 2008, The Health Care Transformation Task Force issued recommendations for developing a universal health care plan. In May 2008, the state legislature passed health reform legislation, which Governor Pawlenty signed on May 29, 2008.

On January 11, 2007, Governor Tim Pawlenty (R) announced a new health care reform plan, Healthy Connections, to increase health insurance access for the uninsured, decrease costs, and improve quality.  As a first step in comprehensive state health reform, on May 29, 2007 Governor Pawlenty signed HF 1078 into law.  The legislation increased MinnesotaCare childless adult eligibility from 175 percent to 200 percent of the federal poverty level on January 1, 2008, and up to 215 percent of the federal poverty level on July 1, 2009. 

In another step, on May 25, 2007, the Governor signed into law the 2007 Omnibus Health and Human Services Appropriations Bill, which provided funding for the Health Care Transformation Task Force, a panel of health care experts charged with exploring ways to reduce health care spending, improve quality, and ensure that Minnesota develops a universal health care plan by 2011.  On February 5, 2008, the Health Care Transformation Task Force issued its report with recommendations to improve health care coverage.

On May 29, 2008, Governor Pawlenty signed comprehensive health reform legislation, SF 3780. The legislation included the following components:

• Expands MinnesotaCare eligibility for childless adults to 250 percent of the federal poverty level.
• Reduces the sliding scale premiums for MinnesotaCare.
• Requires employers with 11 or more full-time employees who do not offer insurance to establish a Section 125 plan, and provides funding to help them do so.
• Promotes the use of health care homes to coordinate care for people with chronic conditions.
• Increases transparency of the price and quality of health care services.
• Reforms public and private payment incentives.
• Improves health information technology, including electronic medical records and e-prescriptions.

On July 29, 2008, Governor Pawlenty unveiled a plan to allow all state residents to access their personal health records and compare prescription and procedure costs online.*

* H.F. 1078. 2007 Legislative Session (Minnesota, 2007). For bill text see: http://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/bin/bldbill.php?bill=H1078.3.html&session=ls85. For Health Care Transformation Task Force recommendations see: http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/hpsc/hep/transform/ttfreportfinal.pdf. S.F. 3780. 2008 Legislative Session (Minnesota, 2008). For bill text see: https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/bin/bldbill.php?bill=S3780.1.html&session=ls85.