Mayo Clinic threatens to pull investments if changes aren't made to HHS omnibus bill
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Mayo Clinic threatened to pull its investments in Minnesota if lawmakers don't make significant changes to two healthcare proposals being discussed in the state's legislature.
In emails obtained by WCCO, Mayo Clinic says the only path to maintaining investments is by amending two provisions in the Health and Human Services omnibus bill. The healthcare provider asks for the removal of the Health Care Affordability Board and significant amendments to the Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act (KNABA).
According to the Mayo Clinic, the discussed investments represent four times the size of the investment in U.S. Bank Stadium and would provide "excellent" jobs for Minnesotans.
"Because these bills continue to proceed without meaningful and necessary changes to avert their harms to Minnesotans, we cannot proceed with seeking approval to make this investment in Minnesota," the email reads.
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The Mayo Clinic calls the Health Care Affordability Board "extremely problematic." It says Mayo is willing to discuss alternative approaches but will withhold its funding unless the current proposal is removed completely.
The other proposal Mayo Clinic takes issue with is the KNABA, which it says will only harm patients. It requests an amendment to the act that includes a path to full exemption from the bill's requirements for systems such as Mayo's.
The KNABA has been praised by the Minnesota Nurses Association while concerning some with the Minnesota Hospital Association because of a staffing formula amid a healthcare worker shortage. They say the formula isn't tailored to individual patient needs, which would negatively affect their care.
Rep. Sandra Feist, the House author of the bill, says that Mayo Clinic didn't request the exemption until this week.
"The exemption that Mayo proposes would exempt, in essence, every hospital in Minnesota," Feist said. "This would make the bill meaningless and is a non-starter. Mayo has thus far refused to provide more reasonable language to address the clear concerns I expressed during our most recent meeting before they cut off communication."
The Minnesota House and Senate both passed their own versions of a health omnibus bill last month. A conference committee will reconcile the bills.
In the email sent Wednesday evening, Mayo Clinic says the issue is "time-sensitive" and must be resolved within the next few days.
The Mayo Clinic addressed the controversy in a statement on Friday:
"At the heart of this is legislation we believe will negatively impact access to care and our ability to transform health care to support our staff and meet the evolving needs of our patients. Like any responsible organization, we must evaluate the legislative and regulatory environment in the places we operate. Mayo has been working to address these concerns for months and is committed to transparently sharing the impacts of these policy decisions. We will continue working with leaders on a bill that is in the best interests of patients, the State and Mayo Clinic."
-Amy Williams, M.D., Chair of Midwest Clinical Practice at Mayo Clinic
"We've always supported making sure that our nurses are supported, have what they need. We also understand that Mayo Clinic's a unique entity where it's focusing globally on it," Gov. Tim Walz said about the emails. "...I think we can get a compromise that works for everyone."
