Bill > SF1589

This bill modifies requirements for medical and dental practices to make their standard charges publicly available and establishes new rules around debt collection. Specifically, the bill expands the types of medical and dental practices required to publish their standard charges, with a phased approach based on annual revenue: starting in 2024 with practices earning over $50 million, then reducing the threshold to $25 million in 2025, $10 million in 2026, and applying to practices of any revenue size from 2027 onward. The bill defines "standard charges" comprehensively, including chargemaster rates, negotiated rates with third-party payers, and cash prices. If a medical or dental practice fails to comply with these charge transparency requirements, they are prohibited from initiating collection actions against patients for services provided during the non-compliance period. Patients or guarantors are given the right to challenge collection actions, and if successful, the practice must refund payments and pay a penalty equal to the amount owed. The bill also amends requirements for hospitals seeking to collect medical debt, now requiring them to certify that they were in material compliance with charge transparency rules when the services were provided. These changes aim to increase pricing transparency and protect patients from aggressive collection practices.

Health and Social Services

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=Senate&f=SF1589&ssn=0&y=2025