[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6615717,"mediaKeyId","2859183-0316a6b26c98821952b832c7a946f394","parentId",2859183,"title","Committee adopts amendment to delay single dental administrator; bill laid over for omnibus","audioSeconds",1124,"startMs",14195,"endMs",1138790,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2859183-0316a6b26c98821952b832c7a946f394&start=14&end=1138","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2859183-0316a6b26c98821952b832c7a946f394/thumbnail_14195.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6615717/Minnesota/Committee-adopts-amendment-to-delay-single-dental-administrator-bill-laid-over-for-omnibus","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6615717-28324982ba82adf8b81a0161d1cf1729/orig.mp4?Expires=1773265151&Signature=c9cxlgEreItRR-zx20AmRYhzSVLv9U2Ny~aaD4QPBBcWWyw1gB9UHDjH7-EVyvmejPbDwLyHgvcM7WV6lgFAKenlgp3T6HyxnXvvdQFVFgKFNs3sYl~l7WO3ZWmDCLitzK8uR25wJ4T8oF2BTzbo4PqYnSekeeMqpwP9nB78RyLHv4fE5LjJbjxOvIhjqFffYUNoC4~iGvoslAjCTgy25UMvIvYaMVnsSrRstYjegMfQPcz10mA2opjLRS1pwaZBBbrcVcq~mGZO9p4O4jslbDS4QV9CWJLE-TgMUwulFAAefzB6zdn6Y5zSKU7xZTmYDqwQty2sgQQrl742wsLN2A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Minnesota Legislature","date","2025-04-03T03:54:21.083Z","article","Representative Reyer introduced House File 1934, which would move the effective date for adopting a single dental administrator under Minnesota Health Care programs from Jan. 1, 2026, to Jan. 1, 2028, and require a stakeholder work group to craft implementation recommendations.

The change is intended to “protect the stability of the dental safety-net system and help avoid a breakdown in access to care for Medicaid and MinnesotaCare members,” Representative Reyer said. The committee adopted a DE amendment delaying implementation, and the chair laid the bill over as amended for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill.

Why it matters: Testimony and committee discussion focused on potential disruptions to critical access dental providers if the single-administrator transition proceeds under the current timeline. Witnesses warned that an accelerated transition could cut reimbursements, eliminate grant funding that supports mobile and hub-and-spoke delivery models, and reduce care coordination that helps keep patients out of emergency rooms.

Dr. Michael Helgeson, CEO of Apple Tree Dental and treasurer of the Association of Critical Access Dental Providers of Minnesota, told the committee that “there are roughly 300 critical access dental providers across Minnesota, and they deliver more than two-thirds of all the dental visits for the 1,500,000 people that are enrolled in public programs.” He warned the committee that, without a delay, some providers could face reimbursement reductions “ranging up to 44%,” lose grants that support clinic updates and workforce recruitment, and see erosion of mobile clinics and care coordination that serve rural communities.

Dan Murphy of the Minnesota Dental Association said his members support the concept of a single administrator to reduce administrative burdens and improve transparency, but that concerns remain about reimbursement levels and administrative details. “Under current law, reimbursement under a single administrator defaults to fee-for-service rates — significantly lower than what many providers receive today,” Murphy said, adding that Minnesota’s dental reimbursement rates “are still based on costs from 1989.” He said the association supports a short delay while stakeholders address how reimbursement under a single administrator will be determined.

Representative Francie urged lawmakers to ensure rural and critical access clinics have “an equal voice” in the work group and recommended including a smaller, exclusively rural critical-access provider seat, requiring cost-benefit analysis of county-based purchasing, and building an ongoing stakeholder process that can advise the Legislature if Department of Human Services (DHS) recommendations differ from the work group's findings.

Representative Reyer described elements she expects the work group to consider, including a payment-rate structure that accounts for geographic differences and patient characteristics, designation criteria for critical access dental providers, infrastructure strategies, a more advanced measurement approach to assess system performance, coordination-of-care goals, and workforce strategies to strengthen the dental pipeline.

Formal action: The committee adopted the DE amendment (voice vote) delaying the effective date and directing further work. The chair then laid House File 1934, as amended, over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill; no final committee vote on passage occurred.

What’s next: Committee members and testifiers said they expect continued stakeholder engagement in the coming weeks to set specific timelines for the working group, finalize measurement approaches, and refine reimbursement and implementation details. The bill remains laid over for potential inclusion in larger legislation.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Health Finance and Policy Committee - part 2 4/2/25","oneSentenceSummary","Representative Reyer introduced House File 1934 to push back the implementation date for a single dental administrator from Jan. 1, 2026, to Jan. 1, 2028, and the House Health Committee adopted an amendment to delay the transition and laid the bill over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MN, Minnesota","taxId",77817,"location","Minnesota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6615712,"Committee rejects amendment to remove optometry injection authority; omnibus health bill moves to general register",2187,1173440,3360835,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2859183-0316a6b26c98821952b832c7a946f394&start=1173&end=3360","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2859183-0316a6b26c98821952b832c7a946f394/thumbnail_1173440.jpg","/articles/6615712/Minnesota/Committee-rejects-amendment-to-remove-optometry-injection-authority-omnibus-health-bill-moves-to-general-register","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6615712-3caa4676058eb1151526288e1d82ede0/orig.mp4?Expires=1773265151&Signature=iRSEmxrhGof52CJPhp4tlP76O2NQ-w1HFXl9kYk-BF73ZqLvQEN2spHcDFNMTXfK~b4r~TekIOZXIdmFQET4exxujHZ6mHEIU-d4V8ViN8Dt4J7Xbg-eIoXn0ZUglnMXttrGCP6bkIZMD9ExI8w-wkObtLa9zdx0hDs45Ot9CAjD9PPFR2AVe775zTvgN4OQ2uT-cshek~2n05KPCWmebmRdRqTmWlUxabgyZQ5LVps5Ps09tmMZDaSIcJa5wJEBL2T1tSdKftqllc1~oCwkq6vRXB7GIVd5Aa3eZ0zSisedv0zjMwY6iY3YHGnL8vYzt834HaXKQFue5ZCAzc2grA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Health Committee took up House File 2464 (DE1-1), a multi-article health-policy package that includes changes ranging from pre-hospital overdose-data sharing to optometry scope-of-practice changes and a renaming/expansion of the Higher Education Facilities Authority to allow issuance of bonds for health projects.

Representative Liebling offered the A2 amendment to remove the provision that would expand optometrists' scope to include several ocular injection procedures. She argued the change posed patient-safety risks because the record did not clearly establish standardized training and supervision for performing injections into eyelids, ocular muscles, and intraocular spaces.

“I really believe that if we pass the bill as is and allow optometrists who may or may not be trained ... we are really putting Minnesota patients at risk,” Representative Liebling said. She asked for a roll-call vote and framed her amendment as a patient-safety measure that would not block other non-injection scope changes.

Supporters of the scope expansion urged the committee to modernize optometry practice and noted broad national adoption of many provisions. Chair Behrman said some changes already appear in many states and argued that modernizing scope helps recruit professionals to Minnesota. “These injection procedures are authorized by the National Board of Examiners since 2012,” he told the committee, noting that several states already allow similar practices.

Representative Gilman said licensed optometrists have completed multi-year education and that allowing the practice would expand access, particularly in rural areas. Opponents, including Representative Bonner and Representative Carroll, stressed the lack of transparent data on how much supervised training injection procedures require and warned about potential irreversible harm to patients' vision.

The committee took a roll-call vote on the A2 amendment. The recorded result was 4 ayes and 17 nays; the amendment failed. The four members recorded as voting in favor were Representative Bonner, Representative Carroll, Representative Hewitt and Representative Liebling. The DE1-1 amendment packet was later adopted by voice vote, and the chair's motion to place House File 2464 on the general register as amended carried by voice vote.

What it covers: Staff described the DE1-1 amendment as divided into two articles. Article I consolidates multiple bills on health policy, including provisions on sensitive examinations, environmental lab technical fixes, pre-hospital overdose-data sharing with ODNAP, maternal death studies, updates to the safe place for newborn statute, child-trafficking evaluation requirements, and various scope-of-practice changes. Article II would rename the Higher Education Facilities Authority to the Health and Education Facilities Authority and allow bond issuance for health projects.

Formal action: The committee rejected the A2 amendment (roll-call: 4 ayes, 17 nays). The DE1-1 amendment package was adopted; the committee placed House File 2464, as amended, on the general register for further consideration.

Next steps: With HF 2464 placed on the general register, sponsors and stakeholders said they expect additional technical work and continued stakeholder engagement on specific provisions, including scope-of-practice training standards and implementation details for authority expansions.","The House Health Committee considered a large health-policy omnibus (House File 2464, DE1-1) and rejected an amendment that would have removed optometrist authorization to perform certain ocular injections. The DE1-1 amendment package was adopted and HF 2464 was placed on the general register as amended.","actionData","errors"]

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Committee adopts amendment to delay single dental administrator; bill laid over for omnibus

Committee rejects amendment to remove optometry injection authority; omnibus health bill moves to general register