Minnesota Agencies

Makes recommendations to the Minnesota commissioner of health concerning statewide and regional limits on the rate of growth of health care spending.

The Minnesota Health Care Commission was established in the 1992 legislation known as "HealthRight." The Minnesota Legislature charged the Commission with the responsibility to develop a cost containment plan that will slow the rate of growth in health care spending by at least ten percent a year for the next five years.

The Commission contributed significantly to research, development, discussions, and recommendations on health policy and programs for Minnesota. Many of its recommendations were enacted into law and served as the basis for the state's strategies to improve health care access, affordability, and quality. Its research and discussions helped facilitate legislative and public debates by clarifying health policy issues, positions, and possible options for addressing the issues. Because all Commission meetings were open and public, it served as a valuable forum for communicating with the public and receiving public input to the health policy process. It was an important source of information to private sector decision making, and served as a convening forum to aid voluntary, market-based approaches to health care reform (from the Minnesota Historical Society Agency History Record).

The Commission decided to discontinue activity with the meeting of June 18, 1997.

25 members: 4 members representing health plan companies; 6 members representing health care providers (1 member each appointed by MHA, MMA, and MNA; 1 rural physician appointed by the governor; 2 members appointed by the governor, not otherwise represented); 4 members representing employers; 5 members representing consumers; 3 members representing labor unions; and commissioners of commerce, employee relations, and human services; 4-year terms.