AG Ellison conducts listening session on medical billing practices

MINNEAPOLIS– Mayo Clinic in Rochester now bills patients who ask questions to their doctor through the patient portal.

Mayo Clinic says certain criteria must be met before it can enact a bill. The patient should first contact their healthcare provider. If the question asked requires a physician to make a diagnosis or clinical decision, the hospital will bill that patient.

Appointments and requests for prescription refills are not billed.

Attorney General Ellison will hold a listening session Wednesday evening to hear about patients’ experiences with medical billing.

Minnesota Nurses Association nurses plan to testify and say billing practices could jeopardize access to care for Minnesotans.

The session is from 5:30pm to 7:00pm at the Department of Revenue building in St Paul.