Short on time?

Use this free tool to communicate quickly with your MN state legislators about the 5 oldest bills listed below. Your message will carry the most weight if you edit the template text to include a personal story or comments about why local pharmacy matters to you. You can use our scripts and templates as inspiration, too!

Pharmacy professional?

Use this link to access a version of the same grassroots advocacy tool tailored to healthcare workers.

Going to be here awhile?

We strongly recommend reading the information about these bills below and crafting your phone call, email, and or mailed letter to your legislator using our more detailed scripts and templates.

Sample Phone Scripts

State Initiatives

The bills below are currently in-progress in the Minnesota Legislature
and need your MN Senator’s (1) and MN Representative’s (1) support!

Each bill’s section includes a brief description of Why it’s important, the bill’s Status, and What you can do to help get that bill passed. Next to the title of each piece of legislation you’ll find links to its status page (one for the House of Representatives’ version and one for the Senate’s version) on the MN Legislature’s website so that you can read up on where that bill is at in the policy-making process.

Bills in the MN House of Representatives and MN Senate can have up to 35 and 5 total authors, respectively, so we recommend that you prioritize reaching out to your legislators about bills they have yet to co-sponsor.

If you don't vote in the state of Minnesota, check out what’s happening in your state currently to address pharmacy-related issues such as PBM abuse, provider status for pharmacists, test-to-treat legislation, equal payment for medical services, etc.

To find out who represents you in our state and federal governments, visit the MN Legislature’s website and enter the address where you’re registered to vote.

Stay up to date with MyBills

Did you know that you can also “subscribe” to email updates from your legislators to keep tabs on their legislative activity and community outreach?

To subscribe, head to the MN Legislature’s website and locate your legislator by clicking on “Members” under either the House of Representatives or Senate. Once you locate their profile, select “Click to subscribe” next to “Email updates” (located to the right of the legislator’s headshot).

If you’d like to stay up to date on the trajectory of these and other bills being debated in the Minnesota State Legislature, click here to set up a free MyBills account.

MyBills allows you to track House and Senate bills by bill number and topic. When you log in, your bills of interst will be listed along with information about recent or upcoming actions. Please note that MyBills does NOT send email notifications when actions are taken on bills; rather, you must login to your account to see these updates.

Establish reimbursement rate requirement for Prepaid Medical Assistance Program (PMAP) | HF5028 & SF4843 | New!

Why it’s important

Managed Care Organizations (MCOs)—such as HealthPartners and UCare—are currently responsible for managing the care of the 85% of Minnesotan Medicaid patients on a Prepaid Health Plan (i.e., who are part of PMAP instead of having “straight Medical Assistance,” where the state covers the cost of their care directly). Operating independently on our state’s behalf, these entities have taken the opportunity to increase their profit margins by chronically underpaying healthcare providers, including pharmacies (a big reason why more and more providers literally cannot afford to take care of Medicaid patients). Recently introduced in the MN Senate, this bill would build upon the proposed “band-aid” solution of a directed pharmacy dispensing payment program (HF4916 | SF5123; see below) by establishing a permanent requirement that MCOs reimburse pharmacies like us at the state-determined dispensing fee rate.

The passing of this legislation would require that MCOs reimburse pharmacies at the dispensing fee rate determined by the Cost of Dispensing Survey (CODS) that is now required by law to be completed every 3 years. It would replace the proposed directed pharmacy dispensing payment program (HF4916 | SF5123), which, if passed, will function as a temporary solution to keep struggling pharmacies open until then.

Status as of April 10th, 2024

HF5028 was introduced by Representative Harder (R—17B) on 3/18/24 and immediately referred to the Health Finance and Policy Committee. It currently has no additional authors and a hearing has yet to be scheduled.

SF4843 was introduced by Senator Gruenhagen (R—17) on 3/11/24 and was immediately referred to the Health and Human Services Committee. It currently has no additional authors and a hearing has yet to be scheduled.

Click on the following links to view the status of these bills—including any additional authors that have been added since the date listed above—on the MN Legislature’s official website: HF5028 | SF4843

What you can do

This legislation will be crucial in ensuring that, moving forward, MCOs managing care for patients on the state’s behalf are not allowed to underpay pharmacy providers. Similar legislation has passed with great success in other states; however, at this time, we ask that you prioritize reaching out to your MN state legislators about the 5 bills listed below, as this legislation is not expected to move forward until next year. We’ll be working hard with our partners over the course of the summer and winter to make sure we’re ready to hit the ground running at the beginning of the 2025 MN Legislative session.

Directed pharmacy dispensing payment program | HF4916 & SF5123

Senate version now includes Medical Assistance reimbursement rate update (see below)

Why it’s important

After decades of chronically low or complete lack of reimbursement from insurance companies (really, the PBMs that represent them) for the service of dispensing prescription medications, independent pharmacies like us are, unsurprisingly, in a financially dire place. Unfortunately, our state has seen some of the worst pharmacy closures in the nation recently: 24 closed their doors over the course of last year and we’ve already lost 4 in 2024. This proposed legislation would create a directed pharmacy dispensing program that would give the pharmacies that are struggling the hardest and serve our most vulnerable community members—mainly those in rural and underserved urban areas—a flat-rate addition to the measly dispensing fee paid out by prepaid health plans (PMAPs, or the private health plans like HealthPartners and UCare that manage coverage for approximately 85% of Minnesota residents on Medicaid). It’s a lifeline that many pharmacies will go bankrupt without and has proved successful in other states.

The passing of this legislation would add an additional flat-rate fee (the amount of which is currently being investigated) for the filling of each prescription for the majority of Medicaid patients. Eligible pharmacies must (1) NOT be owned by a PBM and (2) be a non-chain or a chain of 12 or less pharmacies. Chains of 13+ pharmacies must be located in a HRSA-eligible area in order to qualify (i.e., caring for underserved patients per criteria set by the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA).

Status as of April 10th, 2024

HF4916 was introduced by Representative Bahner (DFL—37B) on 3/13/24 and immediately referred to the Health Finance and Policy Committee. It has since added the following authors and is officially bi-partisan: Reps. Franson (R—12B) and Virnig (DFL—52B). A hearing has yet to be scheduled.

SF5123 was introduced by Senator Mann (DFL—50) on 3/20/24 and was immediately referred to the Health and Human Services Committee. It has since added the following authors and is officially bi-partisan: Sen. Gruenhagen (R—17). A hearing was held on April 4th and the bill was both amended to include the Medical Assistance reimbursement rate update (see below) and laid over for possible inclusion in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee’s supplemental budget omnibus legislation.

What you can do

Contact your MN Representative and Senator! In our district, this would be Representative Kaohly Vang Her (D—District 64A) and Senator Erin Murphy (D—District 64), neither of whom have signed on as authors. If you don’t live in our district, click here to determine who represents you in the MN Legislature.

While all pharmacy-related bills have been heard and laid over for possible inclusion in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee’s supplemental omnibus legislation, we need help putting pressure on the House of Representatives. Even if your own representative is not a member of the House Health Finance and Policy Committee, consider mentioning that this legislation NEEDS to be heard by this committee in order to be included in their supplemental finance omnibus legislation, which must be put together by Friday, April 19th. Legislators have friends and allies, and they may be able to encourage members of the committee that they know to help schedule a hearing. You could also consider contacting members of this committee if you work, but don’t live, in their district.

For detailed instructions on how to contact your legislators and helpful tips and tricks, check out our How to Advocate page.

Need some inspiration? View our sample phone scripts to help you craft your message.

Click on the document to the left to read a summary of this proposed legislation crafted by MPhA, MSHP, and the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy

Maintain pharmacy administered vaccine & testing authorities | HF1197 & SF1176

Why it’s important

During the COVID pandemic, the government relied on Minnesota pharmacies as a vital partner, ensuring we all had access to disease-preventing and life-saving vaccinations. Minnesota pharmacies answered the call and administered millions of vaccinations, including more than 4 million COVID doses (to date, our pharmacy has personally given about 32,000 doses on- and off-site). The final extension of the Federal Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act, which authorized pharmacies to provide FDA-approved and Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)-recommended vaccines under the federal PREP Act expires on December 31st, 2024.

With this proposed change to Minnesota state law, lawmakers have the chance to make this increased authority for pharmacies and their trained employees to independently provide vaccinations a permanent change; without it, pharmacists will lose the authority to order vaccinations and point-of-care (POC) tests, pharmacies will lose the authority to vaccinate children down to the age of 3 years old, and pharmacy technicians will lose the authority to provide any type of vaccination.

Status as of April 10th, 2024

HF1197 was introduced by Representatives Bahner (DFL—37B) and Reyer (DFL—52A) on 2/1/23 and immediately referred to the Health Finance and Policy Committee, after which it was laid over for possible inclusion in the House Health Finance and Policy Committee supplemental budget omnibus legislation. It has since added the following authors and is officially bi-partisan: Reps. Backer (R—9A), Lee (DFL—67A), Bierman (DFL—56A), Fischer (DFL—44A), Hussein (DFL—65A), Elkins (DFL—50B), Finke (DFL—66A), Carroll (DFL—42A), Hemmingsen-Jaeger (DFL—47A), Her (DFL—64A), Smith (DFL—25B), Acomb (DFL—45B), Schultz (R—10B), Olson (DFL—8A), Virnig (DFL—52B), Nadeau (R—34A), Hornstein (DFL—61A), and Freiberg (DFL—43B).

SF1176 was introduced by Senators Hoffman (DFL—34), Boldon (DFL—25), and Duckworth (R—57) on 2/2/23 and was immediately referred to the Health and Human Services Committee, after which it was laid over for possible inclusion in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee supplemental budget omnibus legislation. It has since added the following authors to reach the maximum 5 allowed in the MN Senate and is officially bi-partisan: Sens. Abeler (R—35) and Nelson (R—24).

What you can do

Contact your MN Representative and Senator! In our district, this would be Representative Kaohly Vang Her (D—District 64A), who has already signed on as an author, and Senator Erin Murphy (D—District 64), who never signed on as an author. If you don’t live in our district, click here to determine who represents you in the MN Legislature.

We’ve been told by our legislative partners that the Chairs of the above committees are working on securing funding for this bill, so let your legislator know that, to you, it’s worth the cost! And it is, because regressing back to the pre-COVID vaccination scope of practice for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians will certainly decrease access to this important health service, which is always costly (though something we often only see in hindsight…).

For detailed instructions on how to contact your legislators and helpful tips and tricks, check out our How to Advocate page.

Need some inspiration? View our sample phone scripts to help you craft your message.

Click on the document to the left to read a summary of this proposed legislation crafted by MPhA, MSHP, and the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy. note: The correct House File number for this bill is as listed on our site, HF1197, NOT HF1979.

Medical Assistance reimbursement rate update | HF3902 & SF5123

Senate version has now been rolled into Directed pharmacy dispensing payment program (see above)

Why it’s important

If professional dispensing fees are not updated over time as intended, pharmacies may not be able to afford to serve Medical Assistance (MA) patients—some of our most vulnerable community members. Underwater and unjustifiable reimbursement rates set by PBMs across Medicaid managed care (MC) and employer-based payers are leading to widespread closures of pharmacies, understaffed pharmacy locations, and pharmacy “deserts" (which now officially exist nearby in both St. Paul and North Minneapolis). The fee-for-service pharmacy reimbursement model used by MA, including the professional dispensing fee, is the ONLY reimbursement model affecting Minnesota pharmacies that is under direct control of the state government.

Notably, the proposed dispensing fee rate increase from $10.77 to $11.55 per prescription is based on data collected from Minnesota pharmacies in 2021 (i.e., data that is already 3 years old). While Minnesota law already requires that the MA dispensing fee reflect results from a Cost of Dispensing Survey (CODS) done every 3 years, the update to the rate itself must also be codified into law and would be accomplished by the passing of this legislation. Given the recent rise in inflation, rising demand put onto the dwindling number of pharmacies still open, and the fact that this data is already outdated, Minnesota pharmacies CANNOT wait until next year for the MA dispensing fee to be updated. While, in reality, it’s a conservative estimate of what it costs a pharmacy in Minnesota to truly fill a prescription (at our pharmacy, the cost is closer to $14 - 15 per prescription), $11.55 is more than $10.77, and this update remains an important step in ensuring that Minnesotan pharmacies are paid appropriately for the health-giving, life-saving work that they do.

Status as of April 10th, 2024

HF3902 was introduced by Representative Bahner (DFL—37B) on 2/19/24 and immediately referred to the Health Finance and Policy Committee. It has since added the following authors and is officially bi-partisan: Reps. Elkins (DFL—50B), Hornstein (DFL—61A), and Franson (R—12B). We’re actively working with members of the House of Representatives to have this bill rolled into HF4916 (see above), as has already been done with the Senate’s version of this bill (see below). A hearing is scheduled for Friday, April 12th.

The Senate’s previous version of this bill (SF3971) was introduced by Senators Mann (DFL—50), Boldon (DFL—25), Hoffman (DFL—34), and Lieske (R—58) on 2/19/24 and is officially bi-partisan. It was immediately referred to the Health and Human Services Committee. It has now been rolled into SF5123 (see above) and laid over for possible inclusion in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee supplemental budget omnibus legislation..

What you can do

While all pharmacy-related bills have been heard and laid over for possible inclusion in the Senate HHS Committee’s supplemental omnibus legislation, we need help putting pressure on the House of Representatives. Even if your own representative is not a member of the House Health Finance and Policy Committee, consider mentioning that this legislation NEEDS to be included in their supplemental finance omnibus legislation, which must be put together by Friday, April 19th. Legislators have friends and allies, and they may be able to encourage members of the committee that they know to help schedule a hearing. You could also consider contacting members of this committee if you work, but don’t live, in their district.

For detailed instructions on how to contact your legislators and helpful tips and tricks, check out our How to Advocate page.

Need some inspiration? View our sample phone scripts to help you craft your message.

Click on the document to the left to read a summary of this proposed legislation crafted by MPhA, MSHP, and the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy

Coverage for health services provided by pharmacists | HF2503 & SF2459

Why it’s important

This legislation is designed to promote pharmacists' involvement in patient care and improve access to healthcare services, and would make it so that health services, regardless of how they’re delivered (in a clinic, at a pharmacy, etc.), are fairly, adequately, and equally compensated. For example, at St. Paul Corner Drug we are currently paid less than clinics to administer vaccines, even though we are doing so with the same expertise, efficiency, and safety as medical providers. Pharmacies like us who provide services outside the dispensing of medications (e.g., vaccination, point-of-care (POC) testing, medication administration like injectable HIV PrEP or antipsychotics) deserve equal compensation as our healthcare counterparts.

Unfortunately, there are payers who are not recognizing pharmacists and pharmacy services under Minnesota pharmacy scope of practice (MN-151) and thus not paying Minnesota pharmacists for health services they are authorized to provide to patients. For all other providers in Minnesota—RNs, APRNs, NPs, MAs, PAs, Chiropractors, and others—reimbursement coverage is tied to a physician’s health services covered in Minnesota law. Adding a “licensed pharmacist” to the list of covered providers would ensure pharmacists in our state are able to sustainably provide essential health services for their patients.

Status as of April 10th, 2024

HF2503 was introduced by Representatives Bahner (DFL—37B) and Kotyza-Witthuhn (DFL—49B) on 3/2/23 and immediately referred to the Commerce Finance and Policy Committee, after which it was re-referred to the Health Finance and Policy Committee on 3/22/23. It has since added the following authors and is officially bi-partisan: Reps. Hemmingsen-Jaeger (DFL—47A), Elkins (DFL—50B), Hornstein (DFL—61A), Franson (R—12B), and Virnig (DFL—52B). A hearing has yet to be scheduled.

SF2459 was introduced by Senators Mann (DFL—50), Klein (DFL—53), and Duckworth (R—57) on 3/2/23 and was immediately referred to the Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee, which passed and re-referred it to the Health and Human Services Committee on 3/8/23, after which it was laid over for possible inclusion in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee’s supplemental budget omnibus legislation.

What you can do

While all pharmacy-related bills have been heard and laid over for possible inclusion in the Senate HHS Committee’s supplemental omnibus legislation, we need help putting pressure on the House of Representatives. Even if your own representative is not a member of the House Health Finance and Policy Committee, consider mentioning that this legislation NEEDS to be heard by this committee in order to be included in their supplemental finance omnibus legislation, which must be put together by Friday, April 19th. Legislators have friends and allies, and they may be able to encourage members of the committee that they know to help schedule a hearing. You could also consider contacting members of this committee if you work, but don’t live, in their district.

For detailed instructions on how to contact your legislators and helpful tips and tricks, check out our How to Advocate page.

Need some inspiration? View our sample phone scripts to help you craft your message.

Click on the document to the left to read a summary of this proposed legislation crafted by MPhA, MSHP, and the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy

Expanding access to HIV prevention and treatment | HF2466 & SF2320

Why it’s important

Given their expertise in pharmacology and ability to administer IM injections (like vaccines!), pharmacists are providers that are uniquely well-prepared to, if given authority, expand patients’ access to certain treatments that address conditions of interest to public health and that disproportionately affect our most vulnerable community members, including HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP, or medicine people at risk for HIV take to prevent getting HIV from sex or injection drug use) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP, or medicine taken within 72 hours after a possible exposure to prevent the virus from taking hold) are remarkably effective at preventing the transmission of HIV if patients are able to start these treatments in a timely fashion and maintain compliant over time. These treatments are available both in the form of medication taken by mouth and intramuscular (IM) injection, making pharmacists well-positioned to prescribe and, if needed, administer them.

If passed, this legislation would expand prescriptive authority to allow pharmacists to prescribe HIV PrEP and PEP following adequate training and, additionally, to be able to order, administer, and interpret laboratory tests related to these treatments to ensure safe and proper use.

Status as of April 10th, 2024

HF2466 was introduced by Representatives Curran (DFL—36B), Reyer (DFL—52A), Kozlowski (DFL—8B), Keeler (DFL—4A), Finke (DFL—66A), Frazier (DFL—43A), Pérez-Vega (DFL—65B), Hollins (DFL—66B), Hanson (DFL—55A), Jordan (DFL—60A), Stephenson (DFL—35A), and Becker-Finn (DFL—40B) on 3/2/23 and immediately referred to the Health Finance and Policy Committee. It has since added the following authors and is officially bi-partisan: Reps. Smith (DFL—25B), Feist (DFL—39B), Fischer (DFL—44A), Hornstein (DFL—61A), Hassan (DFL—62B), Lee (DFL—67A), Hussein (DFL—65A), Hemmingsen-Jaeger (DFL—47A), Elkins (DFL—50B), and Virnig (DFL—52B). A hearing has yet to be scheduled.

SF2320 was introduced by Senators Dibble (DFL—61) and Oumou Verbeten (DFL—66) on 3/1/23 and was immediately referred to the Health and Human Services Committee, after which it was laid over for possible inclusion in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee’s supplemental budget omnibus legislation.. It has since added the following authors and remains a Democratic bill: Sen. Boldon (DFL—25).

What you can do

While all pharmacy-related bills have been heard and laid over for possible inclusion in the Senate HHS Committee’s supplemental omnibus legislation, we need help putting pressure on the House of Representatives. Even if your own representative is not a member of the House Health Finance and Policy Committee, consider mentioning that this legislation NEEDS to be heard by this committee in order to be included in their supplemental finance omnibus legislation, which must be put together by Friday, April 19th. Legislators have friends and allies, and they may be able to encourage members of the committee that they know to help schedule a hearing. You could also consider contacting members of this committee if you work, but don’t live, in their district.

For detailed instructions on how to contact your legislators and helpful tips and tricks, check out our How to Advocate page.