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Medical Debt Fairness Act now law of the land in Minnesota
The legislation prevents transferring a dead patient’s medical debt to a surviving spouse and reporting unpaid medical bills to creditors, among other things.
ST PAUL, Minn. — The Debt Fairness Act is officially the law of the land across Minnesota, going into effect on Oct. 1, 2024.
Passed in April as part of the larger Commerce Policy Bill, the act takes a number of steps to protect those struggling under the weight of medical debt. Among other things, the Debt Fairness Act:
- Prevents medical providers from denying care due to unpaid medical debt
- Bans the practice of transferring a dead patient’s medical debt to a surviving spouse
- Prohibits medical providers from reporting unpaid medical bills to credit bureaus
- Establishes strong new protections from unethical medical debt collection practices
- Requires medical providers to publish medical debt collection practices
- Creates a new process to help people dispute medical coding and billing errors
The bill received strong support at Capitol rallies from Minnesotans like Jen Schultz, a public relations professional and adjunct professor at Concordia University in St. Paul.
“I’m a four-time cancer survivor and a lot of times it feels like I’m in a constant cycle of medical debt,” Schultz told KARE. “I’ve had so many situations where I’ve had to choose between buying groceries or paying a full medical bill or putting gas in my car.”
Schultz said bills tend to pile up for cancer survivors like her due to the constant need to check and recheck to ensure the disease has not returned.
“Oncology appointments, scans, ultrasounds, biopsies, medication, treatment, and so on,” Schultz explained.
Credit agencies and hospital groups lobbied hard against the bill before its passage, cautioning lawmakers about the unintended consequences of changing the rules. Danny Ackert of the Minnesota Hospital Association said hospitals wrote off $537 million in uncollectible debt in 2022, and $280 million of that was from patients with insurance who couldn’t afford their copays and deductibles.
“The hospital association is concerned that provisions in Senate File 4065 pertain to medical debt in combination are not appropriately balanced,” Ackert told the panel at the time.
On Tuesday Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced that his office will host a new Debt Fairness Legal Clinic on Saturday, October 5 at NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center. Experts will be on hand to provide support and advice to Minnesotans struggling under the weight of medical debt.
This marked the second trial run for the program, designed to attract visitors to patronize businesses while exploring downtown with an alcoholic beverage.
ANOKA, Minn. — It’s last call of sorts in Anoka, where the city is putting the wraps on its downtown Social District for 2024.
City leaders say the second trial run of the program – which allows visitors to wander a scenic stretch of downtown while eating, shopping and enjoying an alcoholic beverage – will officially end at 10 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 6.
During the six-month stretch of Social District part deux, organizers staged a number of special events to draw patrons downtown, including the Rockin’ on the Rum concert series, Anoka Riverfest & Craft Fair, and the Anoka Food Truck Festival. Also in 2024, buskers registered to show off their artistic talents at designated locations within the district.
The first trial was just one month long, running through September of 2023.
Two more events will be held in the final days of the 2024 Social District:
- Anoka Vintage fest from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5. Visitors can enjoy more than 100 vintage and antique vendors, classic cars, food trucks and music.
- Anoka Halloween Great Pumpkin Expo from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 6. The fun includes a pumpkin weigh off, adult pumpkin carvings, scarecrow contest, food trucks, merchandise, a classic car expo, and more.
“With the success of the 2023 district, we extended the timeframe and the boundaries in the downtown for 2024. Including the south side of Main Street from 1st Avenue to 3rd Avenue allowed patrons to explore more of the downtown,” said community development director Doug Borglund in a statement. “We continue to see success and have experienced very few issues… we look forward to another successful district in 2025.”
As in 2023, Social District organizers and staffers will report findings and data from the second trial run to the state of Minnesota, so a comprehensive plan can be developed for other cities – like Stillwater and Shakopee – that are set to debut their own Social Districts in 2025.
For more on the district’s final days and the concept, check out the Anoka city website.
Sheriff Dawanna Witt and staffers will collect new or gently used items like coats, hats, mittens, boots and socks to distribute to people experiencing homelessness.
MINNEAPOLIS — As we settle into fall, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) hopes to proactively protect Minnesotans from our impending deep freeze with its annual winter donation drive.
Beginning Tuesday, Oct. 1, the sheriff’s office will collect new or gently used items like coats, hats, mittens, boots, scarves and socks to distribute to people experiencing homelessness as winter approaches.
“Every year, the citizens of Hennepin County impress us with their generosity during our cold weather item donation drive,” said Sheriff Dawanna Witt, in a statement. “Over the years, we have given away thousands of clothing items, blankets, hand warmers, and so much more to people in need.”
Witt said her office is starting the annual drive early this year in an effort to get ahead of cold weather. The office plans to collect items until at least Feb. 28, but timing is flexible pending weather and need.
HCSO drop-off locations/times:
- Sheriff’s Administration: 350 S 5th St, Room 6, Minneapolis, MN 55415 (8 a.m. – 4 p.m.)
- Sheriff’s Public Safety Facility: 401 S 4th Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55415 (24 hours)
- Sheriff’s Water Patrol: 4141 Shoreline Dr, Spring Park, MN 55384 (8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.)
- Sheriff’s Emergency Communications Facility: 1245 Shenandoah Lane N, Plymouth, MN 55447 (8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.)
- Sheriff’s Patrol Headquarters: 9401 83rd Ave N, Brooklyn Park, MN 55445 (8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.)
- Minneapolis Central Library: 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55401 (9 a.m. – 9 p.m. Mon-Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday, noon – 5 p.m. Sunday)
The Hennepin County Library system will partner with the sheriff’s office this year, offering an additional 20 donation drop-off locations for easier accessibility.
“We’re excited to offer nearly 20 library drop-off locations this year,” said Hennepin County Library Director Scott Duimstra, in a statement. “By partnering with the Sheriff’s Office, we’re able to help ensure every visitor can find warmth and comfort at the library and beyond.”
Hennepin County Library locations:
- Arvonne Fraser Library: 122 4th St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414
- Brookdale Library: 6125 Shingle Creek Pkwy., Brooklyn Center, MN 55430
- East Lake Library: 2727 East Lake St., Minneapolis, MN 55406
- Eden Prairie Library: 565 Prairie Center Drive, Eden Prairie, MN 55344
- Excelsior Library: 337 Water St., Excelsior, MN 55331
- Franklin Library: 1314 E. Franklin Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55404
- Golden Valley Library: 830 Winnetka Ave. N, Golden Valley, MN 55427
- Hosmer Library: 347 E. 36th, Minneapolis, MN 55408
- Linden Hills Library: 2900 W. 43rd St., Minneapolis, MN 55410
- Minneapolis Central Library: 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55401
- Nokomis Library: 5100 34th S., Minneapolis, MN 55417
- North Regional Library: 1315 Lowry Ave. N, Minneapolis, MN 55411
- Northeast Library: 2200 Central Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55418
- Oxboro Library: 8801 Portland Ave. S, Bloomington, MN 55420
- Ridgedale Library: 12601 Ridgedale Dr., Minnetonka, MN 55305
- Southdale Library: 7001 York Ave. S., Edina, MN 55435
- Walker Library: 2880 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55408
- Washburn Library: 5244 Lyndale Ave., S, Minneapolis, MN 55419
- Westonka Library: Commerce Blvd., Mound, MN 55364
For library hours, click here.
For more information about HCSO’s cold weather donation initiative and what to donate, click here.
So far in 2024, the organization said at least 12 people in Minnesota have also become victims of intimate partner violence.
ST PAUL, Minn. — At least 40 people were killed in Minnesota last year as the result of intimate partner violence, marking the highest number of victims in over three decades of tracking domestic violence data.
According to Violence Free Minnesota’s annual Homicide Report for 2023, of those 40 known victims, 29 were killed by a current or former intimate partner, while 11 intervenors and bystanders were killed in intimate partner violence-related situations. So far in 2024, the organization said at least 12 people in Minnesota have also become victims of domestic violence.
“To every person who lost a family member or loved one in Minnesota in 2023: we believe you, and we want to achieve a safer, violence-free Minnesota together,” said Violence Free Minnesota Executive Director Guadalupe Lopez.
The coalition, made up of more than 90 member programs working to end domestic abuse across Minnesota, released the report Tuesday to coincide with Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
For more information, visit Violence Free Minnesota’s website.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence and needs help, call 800-799-7233 or text START to 88788 to be connected with someone from the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
The hotline includes more options for support and identifiers of abuse on its website.
For Minnesota residents, Cornerstone MN offers resources and safe housing for domestic abuse survivors and crime victims. Call 1-866-223-1111 or chat online with the crisis hotline.
