The state Department of Commerce regulates all insurance sold in Minnesota. The department provides consumer information on Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (Part D) and premium rates for Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans (Medigap). The department also helps consumers with questions about long-term care insurance and the Minnesota Long-Term Care Partnership.

The Senior LinkAge Line is the Minnesota Board on Aging’s free statewide information and assistance service. The Senior LinkAge Line service is provided by six Area Agencies on Aging that cover all 87 counties of Minnesota and helps connect seniors to local services.

The Division of Insurance Fraud Prevention was created by the state legislature and signed into law by the governor in 2004 to investigate insurance fraud in the state of Minnesota.

The Minnesota Senior Health Options (MSHO) is a health care program that combines separate health programs and support systems into one health care package. It is for people ages 65 and older who are eligible for Medical Assistance (MA) and enrolled in Medicare Hospital Insurance (Part A) and Medicare Medical Insurance (Part B) or who have MA only. MSHO enrollees are assigned a care coordinator who will help them get their heath care and related support services.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services provides Minnesotans with a variety of services intended to help people live as independently as possible.

The Minnesota Department of Health seeks to ensure the health, safety and well-being of Minnesota citizens. One of the department's goals is to improve the lives of Minnesota seniors and people with disabilities.

The Managed Care Systems Section licenses and regulates nine health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and three county-based purchasing entities. It regulates community providers, provider networks, health care cooperatives and health care purchasing alliances.

The Minnesota Board on Aging (MBA) is the gateway to services for Minnesota seniors and their families. MBA listens to seniors' concerns, researches solutions, and proposes policies to address seniors' needs. In addition, MBA administers funds from the Older Americans Act that provide a spectrum of services to seniors.

The Compliance Monitoring (CM) Division of the Minnesota Department of Health ensures that providers of Medicare or other health care systems follow federal regulations. CM regulates providers by credentialing health occupations, with on-site surveys of facilities, complaint investigations, employee background checks, consultation and education. CM is Minnesota’s "state survey agency" under the Social Security Act. CM is responsible for performing federal oversight activities to ensure that health care facilities meet required standards before they may be certified to participate in the Medicaid and Medicare programs.

The Minnesota Health Information Clearinghouse is a resource for health-related information and publications.

AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with a membership that advocates for people ages 50 and older. Since 1958, AARP has lobbied for senior issues, including the passage of Medicare in 1965. AARP offers support from staffed offices in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

This group advocates for affordable health care for all Minnesota residents, including seniors.

The Minnesota Health Information website contains a wide range of information about the cost and quality of health care in Minnesota. It is designed to be a clearinghouse of health care information for consumers who wish to compare providers, understand benefit options, or understand costs.

This organization advocates for affordable prescription drugs and equal access to health care for seniors.

Wisconsin Physicians Service (WPS) is a Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC), a company contracted by the CMS to process Medicare claims. WPS processes Medicare Part A and Part B payments and claims for Jurisdiction 5, which consists of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. WPS also administers Part A and Part B legacy contracts. The Part A legacy contracts are former Mutual of Omaha providers who will eventually transition to Jurisdiction 1 (covered by Palmetto Government Benefit Administrators). They cover Hawaii, Delaware and New York. The Part B legacy contracts cover Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

The Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) were established under the Older Americans Act (OAA) Comprehensive Services Amendments in 1973 to respond to the needs of Americans 60 and older in every local community. The amendments added a new Title V, which authorized grants to local community agencies in every state. The AAAs provide a range of options that allow older adults to choose the home- and community-based services and living arrangements that suit them best.

The State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) is a national program that offers counseling and assistance to people with Medicare and to their families. Coordinators provide counseling on Medicare benefits, Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (Part D), Social Security, Medicaid and veterans' benefits. SHIP, formerly the Information, Counseling and Assistance (ICA) grants program, was created under section 4360 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990. This act authorized the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to make grants to states for health advisory services programs for people with Medicare.

Stratis Health is the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) for the state of Minnesota. QIOs are private, mostly not-for-profit organizations, staffed by doctors and other health care professionals, who are trained to review medical care, to help beneficiaries with complaints about the quality of care, and to implement improvements in the quality of care available throughout the spectrum of care. QIOs are required under Sections 1152-1154 of the Social Security Act.

The Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) program helps Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries avoid, detect and prevent health care fraud. The goal is to protect older people and to preserve the integrity of the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The federal program was created in 1996 by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and amended in 2006 by Titles II and IV of the Older Americans Act.

The long-term care ombudsman advocates for residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The office resolves complaints and educates seniors and long-term care providers about their rights and good care practices. The ombudsman also provides information to the public on nursing homes and other long-term care facilities and services, residents' rights, and legislative and policy issues. In 1978, an amendment to the federal Older Americans Act required every state to have an ombudsman program that addresses complaints and advocates for improvements in the long-term care system. The ombudsman program is administered by the Administration on Aging (AoA).

Ken Paulus has served as president and CEO of Allina Hospitals & Clinics since 2009. Before obtaining his current position, he was Allina’s chief operating officer. He was also president and CEO of the Massachusetts-based HealthOne Care System and chief operating officer of Partners Community HealthCare Inc. in Boston. He serves on the executive committee and board of directors for the Minnesota Hospital Association. Paulus received his master’s degree in health care administration from the University of Minnesota.

Before joining Hennepin County Medical Center’s executive team, Arthur Gonzalez was president and CEO of Tri-City HealthCare District in Oceanside, Calif. Earlier in his career, he also served as CEO of Schumpert Health System in Louisiana, St. Joseph Hospital in Texas, and Kino Community Hospital in Arizona. He is board certified in health care management by the American College of Healthcare Executives and holds a master’s degree in health care administration from Trinity University.

Ken Paulus has served as president and CEO of Allina Hospitals & Clinics since 2009. Before obtaining his current position, he was Allina’s chief operating officer. He was also president and CEO of the Massachusetts-based HealthOne Care System and chief operating officer of Partners Community HealthCare Inc. in Boston. He serves on the executive committee and board of directors for the Minnesota Hospital Association. Paulus received his master’s degree in health care administration from the University of Minnesota.

Ken Paulus has served as president and CEO of Allina Hospitals & Clinics since 2009. Before obtaining his current position, he was Allina’s chief operating officer. He was also president and CEO of the Massachusetts-based HealthOne Care System and chief operating officer of Partners Community HealthCare Inc. in Boston. He serves on the executive committee and board of directors for the Minnesota Hospital Association. Paulus received his master’s degree in health care administration from the University of Minnesota.

This House committee addresses issues pertaining to health and human services reform in the state of Minnesota.

This Senate Committee addresses issues pertaining to the regulation of commerce and consumer protection.

This House committee addresses issues pertaining to the regulation of commerce in the state of Minnesota, including regulation of the insurance industry.

This Senate committee addresses issues pertaining to health and human services in the state of Minnesota.