The omnibus health and human services policy bill was passed 90-42 May 6 by the House.
Sponsored by Rep. Paul Thissen (DFL-Mpls), HF1760 includes technical changes to continuing care for the aging and adult services; doula services definition changes; modifications to safe patient handling in clinical settings; certain restrictions on those who can participate in a clinical drug trial; and the establishment of a working group to study nursing staffing levels when adverse health care events occur.
The bill now goes to the Senate, where Sen. Tony Lourey (DFL-Kerrick) is the sponsor.
Doula services would be defined as “continuous emotional and physical support throughout labor and birth, and intermittently during the prenatal and postpartum periods.”
Thissen removed a controversial portion that would have exempted the collection of genetic information from newborns from the state’s written informed consent laws.
Rep. Erin Murphy (DFL-St. Paul) successfully offered an amendment that would require health care providers to annually provide information on certain transactions, including increased rates paid to providers categorized by subspecialty and primary care, to the human services commissioner. She said that knowing the exact rates would help in dealing with rising health care costs.
An amendment unsuccessfully offered by Rep. Steve Gottwalt (R-St. Cloud) would have created a health care coverage program that would essentially replace MinnesotaCare. Gottwalt said the “Healthy Minnesota Plan” would pay providers at commercial rates and provide better health care for adults currently on MinnesotaCare.
While the plan is intriguing and raises some interesting questions about current state health care programs, there are still unanswered financial questions on how to fund the program, Thissen said.
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