Senator Tina Smith has co-sponsored a new law that will keep patients from having to pay unexpected bills from emergency situations that they were not expecting.
Under the No Surprises Act, excessive out-of-pocket costs will be restricted, and emergency services must continue to be covered without any prior authorization, and regardless of whether a provider or facility is in that patient’s insurance network.
Senator Smith said about 20% of all patients who visit an emergency room find themselves with a bill like this. These bills can result from being seen by an out-of-network specialist, or if a patient is taken to a facility not associated with their insurance plan, or even the use of an air-ambulance. The Senator said, this type of surprise billing will no longer happen.
“You should not be responsible,” she said, “for a bill that you didn’t have any intention of incurring.”
Instead, the law has a mechanism that both allows and requires the bills to be worked out between the service provider, the health care facility and the insurance company.
The bill was passed over a year ago as a bi-partisan effort, she said, but it took some time to work out all the details and educate the health care system on how the new law works. However, she said, the long-term effects of this bill made it worth waiting for.
“I think it will be an important step in helping to lower health care costs for people. I’m proud of this legislation, I helped to cosponsor it. It was a bipartisan effort, and I think it’s a real step in the right direction. It’s an important consumer protection piece of legislation.”
The new law went into effect on January 1st.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Senator Tina Smith can be heard here
Thomas says Rice County road deaths ‘still too many’
The Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety is reporting the preliminary numbers of traffic deaths on Minnesota roads in 2021, and the total is the highest in the state in fourteen years.
The preliminary numbers say that 497 people died on Minnesota roads last year, nearly 100 more than in 2020. It is the first time the number has even approached 500 since 2007, when 510 people died on Minnesota roads.
In Rice County, Sheriff Jesse Thomas said, there were 5 traffic fatalities in 2021. The total is half of the number from 2020, but Sheriff Thomas said even one death is too many.
“The total may be down,” he said, “but five deaths in Rice County is still a lot.”
According to the Department of public safety, the biggest contributing factor was high speeds. Throughout the year, members of the local law enforcement community were reporting speeds of up to 100 MPH on county roads and trunk highways, which are not designed to handle that kind of speed. Sheriff Thomas said other significant factors were people driving while intoxicated, and distracted driving.
Across the state, the Department of Public Safety said 162 of the deaths were speed related, 124 were related to alcohol or the use of narcotics, and another 24 were due to distracted driving.
Sheriff Thomas also urged caution when driving in winter conditions, as well. The combination of icy conditions and sub-zero temperatures, he said, make clearing the roads an especially difficult job.
“It’s hard for Mn Dot and our county plow drivers to get that fine layer of ice off of the roadways, when it’s below zero and the sun isn’t shining. Some of the chemicals [they use] don’t work as well as they do when it’s above zero. You just have to keep in mind that they’re doing the best that they can, and it comes back, then, to the drivers of the vehicles to slow down and pay attention.”
The most important things a driver can do when behind the wheel is to drive at posted speeds, put away any distractions, like a cell phone, and everyone in a vehicle should always wear a seatbelt. Sheriff Thomas said the most difficult aspect of his job is informing families of a tragedy.
“We do not want to have to visit your house, or your loved one’s house, and tell them that you aren’t coming home,” he said.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Rice County Sheriff Jesse Thomas can be heard here
Council work session set for tonight
And the Northfield City Council will meet for a work session tonight in the Council Chambers at City Hall, with several items on the agenda.
The Council will hear a presentation given by the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities related to membership and benefits, there will be a review and discussion of the re-districting process that every community in the country is going through right now, there will be an update on Board and Commission Governance effectiveness, and the Kraewood Development will be back on the agenda as the Planning Commission has evidently asked the Council to respond to a specific situation in the preliminary platt.
As always, the City Council and the Northfield City Staff are eager to hear the opinions of the public on any matter, whether the subject is on the Council agenda or not. As this is a work session, the Council will not hear from the public during tonight’s meeting. However, those who do wish to make a point, air an opinion, or ask a question can email their councilor directly or make use of the eComment function which can be found in the “Agendas” section of the city website.
Tonight’s meeting will begin at 6:00.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net.
