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HF 1077

Requirements for making current standard charges available to the public modified, collection actions prohibited in certain circumstances, and actions by patients and guarantors authorized.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Steve Elkins

Requires public access to current health care charges, limits certain debt collection, and clarifies patient/guarantor rights regarding medical bills.

Introduction and first reading, referred to Health Finance and Policy
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Bill Summary · HF 1077

Summary: HF 1077 (Minnesota, 2025-2026)

Overview

HF 1077 is a Minnesota bill introduced in the 2025-2026 session, with Steve Elkins as a co-sponsor. The bill focuses on three related areas in health care billing and collection practices:
1) making current standard charges (often referred to as chargemaster or list prices) publicly available in a usable format,
2) restricting collection actions in certain circumstances, and
3) clarifying or authorizing actions by patients and guarantors in relation to medical bills.

The action history shows the bill was introduced and referred to the Health Finance and Policy committee on February 17, 2025.

1) Purpose and Intent

  • Improve transparency of health care pricing by requiring current standard charges to be accessible to the public.
  • Limit aggressive or inappropriate debt collection actions under specific conditions.
  • Provide clearer authority for patients and guarantors to navigate or contest medical bills, while outlining permissible actions.

2) Key Provisions and Changes

Note: The exact statutory language is not provided here, so the following descriptions reflect the bill’s stated aims and common policy approaches for these areas. If enacted, the bill would translate these aims into statutory text with specific definitions, timelines, and enforcement mechanisms.

A. Public Availability of Current Standard Charges

  • Requirement that health care pricing information (standard charges) be made available to the public.
  • “Current standard charges” typically refer to the chargemaster or facility-listed prices for medical services, procedures, and items.
  • Public availability could include online publication in a machine-readable format, regular updates, and access by patients, payers, and researchers.
  • Intent: Promote price transparency to help patients compare costs and to support payer-negotiation efforts and policy analysis.

B. Restrictions on Collection Actions

  • Prohibitions or limitations on certain debt collection actions in specified circumstances.
  • Possible protections for patients who are in financial hardship, enrolled in financial assistance programs, or when the bill reflects coverage disputes, billing errors, or delays in coverage determinations.
  • Potential guardrails to prevent abusive practices (e.g., restrictions on wage garnishment, lawsuits, or third-party collection activities in narrow windows such as during internal billing reviews, appeals, or when the patient has made reasonable payment arrangements).

C. Actions by Patients and Guarantors Authorized

  • Clarifies what actions patients and guarantors may take regarding medical bills.
  • May authorize dispute procedures, billing inquiries, or requests for itemized bills and documentation.
  • Could outline timelines for responses from providers or payers, and set expectations for resolution of disputes, including possible mediation or formal appeal processes.

3) Who/What is Affected

  • Patients and guarantors who receive medical bills from Minnesota health care providers and facilities.
  • Health care providers, hospitals, clinics, and other entities that issue standard charges.
  • Payers (insurance plans and third-party billers) who interact with providers and patients around price information and collections.
  • State health policy and consumer protection enforcement agencies that would implement, monitor, and enforce the new requirements.

4) Procedural and Timeline Considerations

  • Introduced and referred to the Health Finance and Policy committee on February 17, 2025.
  • As a committee-referred bill, it will require passage by the Minnesota Legislature and signature by the governor to become law.
  • Potential timelines to watch:
    • Committee hearings and amendments
    • Floor votes in the House and Senate
    • Publication of the final enacted statute and its effective dates
  • Enforcement and penalties (if included) would be defined in the final text, including who enforces the requirements (e.g., a state department or attorney general) and potential fines or corrective actions for noncompliance.

5) Practical Impact

  • For Patients: Greater visibility into pricing and improved ability to challenge or inquire about bills; potential protections against aggressive collections during disputes or financial hardship.
  • For Providers: New obligations to publish current charges in accessible formats and possibly adjust billing workflows to support dispute processes.
  • For Payers: Interaction with publicly available price data and alignment with patient-centered billing practices.

If you would like, I can integrate the exact statutory definitions, timeline milestones, or enforcement provisions once the bill text is available.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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