2006 Minnesota Statutes

144.70 BIENNIAL REPORT.
    Subdivision 1. Content. The commissioner of health shall prepare a report every two years
concerning the status and operations of the health care markets in Minnesota. The commissioner
of health shall transmit the reports to the governor, and to the members of the legislature under
section 3.195. The first report must be submitted on January 15, 1987, and succeeding reports
on January 15 every two years. Each report must contain information, analysis, and appropriate
recommendations concerning the following issues associated with Minnesota health care markets:
(1) the overall status of the health care cost problem, including the costs faced by employers
and individuals, and prospects for the problem's improving or getting worse;
(2) the status of competitive forces in the market for health services and the market for health
plans, and the effect of the forces on the health care cost problem;
(3) the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of facilitating development of strengthened
competitive forces through state initiatives;
(4) the feasibility of limiting health care costs by means other than competitive forces,
including direct forms of government intervention such as price regulation; the commissioner of
health may exclude this issue from the report if the report concludes that the overall status of the
health care cost problem is improving, or that competitive forces are contributing significantly to
health care cost containment;
(5) the overall status of access to adequate health services by citizens of Minnesota, the
scope of financial and geographic barriers to access, the effect of competitive forces on access,
and prospects for access improving or getting worse;
(6) the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of enhancing access to adequate health services by
citizens of Minnesota through state initiatives; and
(7) the commissioner of health's operations and activities for the preceding two years as they
relate to the duties imposed on the commissioner of health by sections 144.695 to 144.703.
    Subd. 2. Interagency cooperation. In completing the report required by subdivision 1, in
fulfilling the requirements of sections 144.695 to 144.703, and in undertaking other initiatives
concerning health care costs, access, or quality, the commissioner of health shall cooperate with
and consider potential benefits to other state agencies that have a role in the market for health
services or the market for health plans. Other agencies include the Department of Employee
Relations, as administrator of the state employee health benefits program; the Department
of Human Services, as administrator of health services entitlement programs; the Department
of Commerce, in its regulation of health plans; the Department of Labor and Industry, in its
regulation of health service costs under workers' compensation.
History: 1976 c 296 art 2 s 6; 1977 c 305 s 45; 1Sp1985 c 9 art 2 s 11; 1991 c 345 art 2
s 37; 1994 c 411 s 2