This bill, introduced in the Minnesota House of Representatives, seeks to prohibit facility fees for nonemergency health care services provided at provider-based clinics and for certain outpatient services regardless of location.

Key Provisions:

1. Definition of Facility Fees: Facility fees are additional charges imposed by provider-based clinics, separate from professional fees for physicians' services, intended to cover administrative and operational costs.

2. Prohibition on Facility Fees:

   • Health care providers cannot charge, bill, or collect facility fees for nonemergency services at provider-based clinics, including telehealth services.
   • Facility fees are also prohibited for outpatient evaluation and management services and other services determined by the commissioner of health.

3. Reporting Requirements:

   • By January 15, 2027, and annually thereafter, hospitals and health systems must report facility fees charged, billed, and collected to the commissioner of health.
   • The report must include facility names, addresses, patient visit data, total facility fees collected, and information on services generating the most facility fee revenue.

4. Regulatory Authority:

   • The commissioner of health is authorized to expand the prohibition to include additional outpatient services that can be safely provided outside hospital settings.
   • The commissioner can also adopt rules for enforcing the provisions of the bill.

5. Enforcement and Penalties:

   • Violations are considered an unlawful business practice and can be enforced by the attorney general and health licensing boards.
   • The commissioner of health can impose fines up to $1,000 per violation.
   • Providers may be audited to ensure compliance, with record-keeping requirements extending for four years after a facility fee charge.

6. Repeal of Prior Law:

   • The bill repeals Minnesota Statutes Section 62J.824, which had required disclosure of facility fees but did not prohibit them.

Purpose:

The goal of this legislation is to reduce unexpected charges for patients, increase transparency in health care pricing, and prevent unnecessary financial burdens related to facility fees in nonemergency and outpatient settings.