Relating to health ARTICLE 1- CONSUMER EMPOWERMENTConforming certain state income tax provisions to changes in the +internal revenue code (IRC) resulting from the federal medicare prescription +drug improvement and modernization act of 2003 relating to health savings +accounts to encourage consumer driven health plans; repealing a certain +requirement for high deductible health plans used in connection with medical savings +accounts to provide enrollees access to discounted provider fees for covered +services without regard to enrollee deductible satisfaction status ARTICLE 2 � PROVIDER BEST PRACTICESExpanding the definition of facility under the Minnesota adverse +health care act of 2003 to outpatient surgical centers or other locations +providing outpatient services; requiring the commissioner of human services to +establish an information and referral center to assist health care providers in+ obtaining oral language interpreter services needed for certain patients +seeking health care services, requiring the center to collect and maintain contact +and rate information for interpreter services providers and to make the +information available to all health care providers, authorizing a contract with a+ private sector nonprofit organizationfor implementation purposes ARTICLE 3 � MEDICAL MALPRACTICE REFORMAuthorizing the board of medical practice to evaluate and approve +best practice guidelines and to make approved guidelines available to physicians on+ the board web site, guidelines to be an absolute defense against malpractice +allegations after approval; defining certain terms for health care provider +actions purposes, specifying certain limits on noneconomic and punitive +damages and prohibiting excessive attorney fees; specifying certain damage +findings and awards requirements ARTICLE 4 � REDUCING GOVERNMENT MANDATESPlacing a moratorium on the enactment of new mandated health +benefits; requiring the commissioner of commerce to develop and implement a +pilot project by a certain date to authorize health carriers to offer alternative +health benefit plans to small employers under certain conditions, specifying+ an project expiration date; repealing the requirement for health plans +to provide coverage for autologous bone marrow transplants for the treatment of +breast cancerARTICLE 5 � ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMAuthorizing the board of medical practice to conduct final +interviews of applicants applying for licensure to practice medicine by endorsement+ or reciprocity by teleconference; expanding the definition of claimant +agency relating to nonprofit hospitals under the revenue recapture act; +repealing certain expenditure reporting requirements of health care providers ARTICLE 6 � HEALTH PLAN COMPETITION AND REFORMAuthorizing the use of health plan forms before approval by the +commissioner of commerce; expanding the health maintenance organization and +authorizing the qualification of foreign corporations subject to obtaining a +certificate of authority; transferring regulatory authority over HMOs from the +commissioner of health to the commissioner of commerce after a certain date, +specifying certain conforming changes instructions to the revisor of statuesARTICLE 7 � TAXPAYER SUBSIDIZED HEALTH PROGRAM COST SHIFTINGRequiring the commissioners of human services and finance in +preparing fiscal notes for legislative proposals requiring new or increased funding +for expansion of eligibility or covered services for state health plans +to include an estimate of the financial impact of cost shifting on private +sector payors and individuals paying for health care services out of pocket, +specifying certain requirements for measuring the financial impact of cost +shifting; limiting the expansion of state health care programs (medical +assistance (MA), general assistance medical care (GAMC) and MinnesotaCare); requiring +the commissioner of human services to evaluate the extent of cost +shifting by heath care providers to private sector payors and individuals resulting +from state health care program reimbursement rates, specifying certain +evaluation requirements and requiring presentation of results and +recommendations to the legislature by a certain date, authorizing a contract with an +actuarial consulting firm for implementation purposes (mk)