On Thursday, April 24 Gov. Tim Pawlenty signed into law the following two health-care related bills:

• The moratorium on construction of new radiation therapy facilities was extended until 2011. The moratorium affects a 14-county area encompassing Hennepin, Ramsey, Dakota, Washington, Anoka, Carver, Scott, St. Louis, Sherburne, Benton, Stearns, Chisago, Isanti and Wright counties.
• A law preventing unethical solicitation practices by medical providers seeking to provide care to auto-accident victims. The law does, however, allow health-care providers who have an established professional relationship with auto-accident victims to care for them after an accident without violating the new ethical code.

On issues of budget and health-care reform, conference committees held limited meetings this week. Capitol discussions indicate a health-care reform bill might be finished as early as next week. An April 11 article detailed many of the provisions of the two reform bills passed separately by the House and Senate.

For more information contact MHA government relations staff Mary Krinkie at (651) 659-1465 or Susan Stout at (651) 603-3526. MHA welcomes feedback from members.