This bill aims to prohibit facility fees for nonemergency services provided at provider-based clinics in Minnesota. It introduces new legal language that defines "facility fee" and "provider-based clinic," and explicitly prohibits health care providers from charging, billing, or collecting facility fees for nonemergency services, including those provided via telehealth. Additionally, the bill outlines specific health care services for which facility fees are not allowed, such as outpatient evaluation and management services. It also mandates that hospitals and health systems submit annual reports to the commissioner of health detailing facility fees charged, billed, and collected, along with other relevant information.

Furthermore, the bill grants the commissioner of health the authority to adopt rules to expand the prohibition on facility fees to additional services and establishes enforcement mechanisms for violations, including penalties and the ability to audit health care providers. Notably, the bill repeals the existing Minnesota Statutes section 62J.824, which previously required provider-based clinics to disclose facility fees to patients prior to service delivery. This repeal reflects a shift towards eliminating facility fees altogether rather than merely requiring disclosure.

Statutes affected:
Introduction: 62J.824