EAGAN, Minn. – The sponsor of a House bill to create a state health-care affordability board expressed dismay at Mayo Clinic demanding that the bill be scrapped – or else. Liz Reyer, an Eagan Democrat, said she’s already had been fine-tuning he bill but without much feedback from hospitals or Minnesota health juggernaut Mayo clinic. Mayo has threatened to shift $5 billion in future expansion out of the state if Reyer’s bill becomes law. “It would have been nice to hear concerns after the bill was introduced in February,” Reyer told the Minnesota Reformer, “It’s not like it’s not been public. We could’ve had a lot of productive conversations.” It was reporter Max Nesterak at the Reformer who broke the story on Mayo’s threat aggressive posture – an ultimatum – on Reyer’s bill as well as a second hospital bill moving through House committees. Reyer told Nesteak that Massachusetts and a number of other states have created similar boards. She said the Massachusetts experience has been lower growth in health-care costs than the national average.
Reyer target: Rising healthcare costs
Reyer’s proposed Health Care Affordability Board and Health Care Affordability Advisory Council would monitoring health care market trends and report them to the Legislature and the public. There would be targets to reduce health-care costs to the public — and civil penalties for hospitals that miss targets.
Reyer. A second term Democrat in the Minnesota House. A member of the Health Finance and Human Services committees in the House. Former market research director for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota.