Skip to main content Skip to office menu Skip to footer
Capital IconMinnesota Legislature

Office of the Revisor of Statutes

Key: (1) language to be deleted (2) new language

CHAPTER 168--S.F.No. 3480

An act

relating to health care; adding provisions to the price disclosure requirements for providers and health plan companies;

amending Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 62J.81; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 62J.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 62J.81, is amended to read:

62J.81 DISCLOSURE OF PAYMENTS FOR HEALTH CARE SERVICES.

Subdivision 1.

Required disclosure deleted text begin of estimated paymentdeleted text end new text begin by providernew text end .

(a) A health care provider, as defined in section 62J.03, subdivision 8, or the provider's designee as agreed to by that designee, shall, at the request of a consumer, and at no cost to the consumer or the consumer's employer, provide that consumer with a good faith estimate of the allowable payment the provider has agreed to accept from the consumer's health plan company for the services specified by the consumer, specifying the amount of the allowable payment due from the health plan company. deleted text begin Health plan companies must allow contracted providers, or their designee, to release this information.deleted text end If a consumer has no applicable public or private coverage, the health care provider must give the consumer, and at no cost to the consumer, a good faith estimate of the average allowable reimbursement the provider accepts as payment from private third-party payers for the services specified by the consumer and the estimated amount the noncovered consumer will be required to pay.

new text begin (b) In addition to the information required to be disclosed under paragraph (a), a provider must also provide the consumer with information regarding other types of fees or charges that the consumer may be required to pay in conjunction with a visit to the provider, including but not limited to any applicable facility fees. new text end

new text begin (c) The information required under this subdivision must be provided to a consumer within ten business days from the day a complete request was received by the health care provider. For purposes of this section, "complete request" includes all the patient and service information the health care provider requires to provide a good faith estimate, including a completed good faith estimate form if required by the health care provider. new text end

new text begin (d)new text end Payment information provided by a provider, or by the provider's designee as agreed to by that designee, to a patient pursuant to this subdivision does not constitute a legally binding estimate of the allowable charge for or cost to the consumer of services.

new text begin (e) No contract between a health plan company and a provider shall prohibit a provider from disclosing the pricing information required under this subdivision. new text end

new text begin Subd. 1a. new text end

new text begin Required disclosure by health plan company. new text end

deleted text begin (b)deleted text end new text begin (a)new text end A health plan company, as defined in section 62J.03, subdivision 10, shall, at the request of an enrollee intending to receive specific health care services or the enrollee's designee, provide that enrollee with a good faith estimate of the allowable amount the health plan company has contracted for with a specified provider within the network as total payment for a health care service specified by the enrollee and the portion of the allowable amount due from the enrollee and the enrollee's out-of-pocket costs. An estimate provided to an enrollee under this paragraph is not a legally binding estimate of the allowable amount or enrollee's out-of-pocket cost.

new text begin (b) The information required under this subdivision must be provided by the health plan company to an enrollee within ten business days from the day a complete request was received by the health plan company. For purposes of this section, "complete request" includes all the patient and service information the health plan company requires to provide a good faith estimate, including a completed good faith estimate form if required by the health plan company. new text end

Subd. 2.

Applicability.

new text begin (a) new text end For purposes of this section, "consumer" does not include a medical assistance or MinnesotaCare enrollee, for services covered under those programs.

new text begin (b) For purposes of this section, a good faith estimate is not: new text end

new text begin (1) a guarantee of final costs for services received from a health care provider; or new text end

new text begin (2) a final determination of eligibility for coverage of benefits or provider network participation under a health plan. new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2019. new text end

Sec. 2.

new text begin [62J.812] PRIMARY CARE PRICE TRANSPARENCY. new text end

new text begin (a) Each provider shall maintain a list of the services over $25 that correspond with the provider's 25 most frequently billed current procedural terminology (CPT) codes, including the provider's ten most commonly billed evaluation and management codes, and of the ten most frequently billed CPT codes for preventive services. If the provider is associated with a health care system, the health care system may develop the list of services required under this paragraph for the providers within the health care system. new text end

new text begin (b) For each service listed in paragraph (a), the provider shall disclose the provider's charge, the average reimbursement rate received for the service from the provider's health plan payers in the commercial insurance market, and, if applicable, the Medicare allowable payment rate and the medical assistance fee-for-service payment rate. For purposes of this paragraph, "provider's charge" means the dollar amount the provider charges to a patient who has received the service and who is not covered by private or public health care coverage. new text end

new text begin (c) The list described in this subdivision must be updated annually and must be posted in the provider's reception area of the clinic or office and made available on the provider's Web site, if the provider maintains a Web site. new text end

new text begin (d) For purposes of this subdivision, "provider" means a primary care provider or clinic that specializes in family medicine, general internal medicine, gynecology, or general pediatrics. new text end

new text begin (e) No contract between a health plan company and a provider shall prohibit a provider from disclosing the pricing information required under this section. new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2019. new text end

Presented to the governor May 16, 2018

Signed by the governor May 19, 2018, 4:50 p.m.

Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes