House DFLers unveil new rules to reduce health care costs

House DFLers on Tuesday unveiled a set of proposals to reduce prescription drug costs, improve transparency in medical billing and crack down on medical-assistance fraud.

The group of DFL House members proposed an array of new regulations aimed at reducing health care costs and their effect on health insurance premiums.

"This legislative package includes common-sense solutions that specifically respond to what we are hearing from Minnesotans who want affordable, quality health care for themselves and their families," House Deputy Minority Leader Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, said at a news conference.

DFLers are expected to be met with resistance by House Republicans, who hold the majority. Murphy, however, said the caucus would be undeterred.

"These ideas could attract the support of Republicans in the House, attract the support of senators who do have the majority and the support of the governor," Murphy said. "These are solutions that Minnesotans are seeking, and because of that, we think there's a possibility we could get some of them or all of them."

House Health and Human Services Finance Committee Chairman Matt Dean, R-Dellwood, said the legislative package is not "really heading in the right direction," arguing that it would likely add more cost and reduce choices for consumers.

Among the initiatives is an effort to tamp down the cost of prescription drugs, a proposal put forth by Rep. Joe Mullery, DFL-Minneapolis, that could find some support among Republicans.

"Most of you remember last year when the country was shocked by one drug manufacturer raising the price of their pills by 5,000-some percent," Mullery said, referencing the high-profile example of Martin Shkreli, who raised the cost of a medication from $13.50 to $750. "That really woke up the country to what was going on," he said.

Mullery's proposal would require that prescription drug companies file an annual report to the Minnesota Department of Health detailing the costs of marketing and advertising of prescription drugs. The proposal would apply to medications that cost $1,000 or more annually.

There are areas where there could be bipartisan support, including cracking down on Medicaid fraud, Dean said.

"The drug transparency is probably the one that makes the most sense," Dean said. "We might be able to find some common ground there."

Rep. Joe Atkins, DFL-Inver Grove Heights, said consumers should have more rights when they use medical services or receive treatment.

His proposal would require that health care providers provide estimates of out-of-pocket expenses and that they charge no more than 10 percent of those estimates, except in cases involving emergency procedures.

House DFLers also proposed additional funding for school social workers and more state dollars for school-linked mental health grants.