Progress on my bills, health care relief

Friends,

This week was a busy one at the Capitol. It began with Governor Dayton delivering his State of the State address where he collapsed and was helped out of the House Chamber. After he recovered, Governor Dayton informed us all that he has been diagnosed with cancer. I hope that you will join me in wishing the best for Governor Dayton and praying for his health.

Here is my weekly update:

Health Care Relief Bill signed into law

Following negotiations throughout the past week, the Senate and House each passed a final version of the health care premium relief bill and Governor Dayton signed it late on Thursday evening. In total, the relief package totaling almost $327 million will be taken from budget reserves. Here is a quick overview of the final bill:

• $311,945,000.00 in premium relief will go to Minnesotans who purchased health care in the individual market.
• Anyone who purchased coverage from the individual market will receive a 25 percent discount on their premium invoices.
• $15 million will go to guaranteeing continuity-of-care for those currently undergoing life-saving treatment for an extra 120 days.

Reforms were also included to increase access and choices to avoid out-of-control premium increases happening again. These are the first set of reforms with many more proposals for reform to come.

• Increase transparency by requiring the publishing of preliminary rate filings within 10 days of receiving them. This will make sure we won’t be blindsided again by huge rate increases so late in the year. If this requirement had been in place, the Legislature could have taken action to improve the 2017 market.

• Improve Access by allowing dropping the requirement that only non-profit HMOs to operate in Minnesota. This will allow for more choices in Minnesota’s market. This bill also makes it easier for small businesses to offer affordable plans by making changes to stop loss requirements for small businesses.

• End to surprise billing from health care providers. Surprise billing is when an in-network provider uses an out-of-center provider, such as an anesthesiologist or lab for tests, and bills the patient for out-of-network cost.

Three bills making progress towards passage

1. HF 3 - the REAL ID bill, offering a two-track system to comply with the federal requirements established post-9/11 for air travel and federal facilities, passed the Ways and Means Committee on Monday and will next be on the House Floor.
   
   My bill will allow for Minnesotans to opt-in to a REAL ID compliant driver’s license. This will allow for continued ability to board planes and enter federal facilities without needing a passport.
   
   My bill offers the second option for those who wish to not participate in this program and keeps the current driver’s license system in place. The compromise of using a two-track system has served as a way to satisfy those concerned about the federally compliant IDs.
    
2. HF22 - a bill that aids family farms by exempting them from an annual reporting requirement, which has a criminal penalty if not followed, for land held in trusts passed the Agricultural Policy Committee on Wednesday and was referred to Agricultural Finance Committee.
    
3. HF46 - a consumer friendly bill that updates Minnesota's real property laws to modernize current law regarding electronic signatures and reduces filing fees passed the Public Safety Committee and will next be voted on the House Floor.

Governor Dayton presented his budget this week and it called for a 10 percent increase in spending and $1.6 billion in higher taxes. With the $1.4 billion surplus, it was disappointing to see only $125 million in tax cuts in the governor's budget. I don't believe that higher taxes and a larger government is the answer.

The House will release our own budget following the February forecast where we will then discuss how to reach a more realistic budget that reflects the priorities of hardworking Minnesotans.

Come Visit the Capitol

I wanted to again encourage you to come and take a tour of the newly restored Capitol. While you're hear, come visit me in my office and let me know your thoughts on session so far.

Have a great weekend!

Dennis