Tim Walz and his record on health policy, hospitals, nurses and lowering medical costs

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz may have been relatively unknown a few weeks ago, but his policies and record are certain to get much more attention now, including his stance on key health issues.

Vice President Kamala Harris announced Tuesday that she had chosen Walz as her running mate in her bid for the White House. Walz, 60, is in the midst of his second term as Minnesota’s governor, and spent 12 years representing part of the state in the U.S. House of Representatives. The shakeup of the Democratic ticket follows President Joe Biden’s decision to drop his bid for a second term.

• Read more: Kamala Harris and health policy: Maternal health, abortion rights, the Affordable Care Act, equity and AI

Not surprisingly, Walz holds positions in line with Harris, but in some respects, his record could be viewed as more progressive. He’s held views that have proven popular in his home state and with Democrats but has also engaged in some thorny issues.

Here’s a rundown of some of Walz’s stances and actions on issues related to health policy, hospitals, and the costs of medical care.

Abortion & reproductive rights

Harris has made abortion rights a central part of her campaign, and has decried state laws that have emerged since the Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade. Walz is on the same page.

Walz has done more than spoken out in favor of reproductive rights. In 2023, Walz signed legislation expanding protections of abortion rights to ensure that they remain in place regardless of the future composition of state courts. He also signed legislation aimed at protecting those seeking abortions in Minnesota against legal attacks from groups outside the state.

In March, Walz appeared with Harris at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Minnesota.

The Minnesota governor has also spoken passionately and personally about the value of fertility treatments. At a kickoff rally with Harris in Philadelphia Tuesday night, Walz pointed out that IVF and fertility treatment enabled he and his wife, Gwen, to have their two children.

"This gets personal for me and my family," Walz said. "When my wife and I decided to have children, we spent years going through infertility treatments."

Walz gained attention when he blasted Republican policies, including on abortion rights and health, during an MSNBC interview last month. “There’s no healthcare plan,” he said.

“These are weird people on the other side. They want to take books away, they want to be in your exam room. … They are bad on foreign policy, they are bad on the environment, they certainly have no healthcare plan,” Walz told MSNBC.

Doctors and hospitals have complained that some state abortion laws have made it extremely difficult to deliver care to patients in emergencies.

Hospitals

Walz signed legislation adding more scrutiny to hospital mergers in Minnesota. The legislation emerged as Sanford Health was proposing a merger with Fairview Health Services, but the systems dropped their plans last year.

Under Minnesota’s law, which took effect last year, the attorney general can examine hospital mergers to ensure they don’t reduce competition or services. The attorney general could seek court approval to block a deal if it is determined not to be in the best interest of the public.

Walz also created a commission to make recommendations on the future of the University of Minnesota’s academic health system. The task force called for a sound strategic plan across the system’s health sciences programs and more funding and focus on developing the state’s healthcare workforce.

The University of Minnesota and Fairview Health Services have reached a letter of intent on a multi-year plan for the university to buy back the University of Minnesota Medical Center from Fairview.

Nurses

Walz signed legislation last year aimed at improving safety in hospitals, which is a chronic problem nationwide.

The measure requires hospitals to develop plans to address workplace safety and requires an annual report on those plans. The state’s health commissioner is also required to publish a report on the state’s nursing workforce at hospitals. The law also gives nurses more access to loan forgiveness programs.

Minnesota lawmakers had pushed for legislation intended to give nurses more power in determining appropriate staffing levels, but Minnesota hospitals pushed back on the measure.

Legislation appeared to be on the cusp of becoming law, but the provision that would have required hospitals to create staffing committees was dropped, at Walz’s behest, the Minnesota Reformer reported. The Mayo Clinic said if the staffing provisions were enacted, the system could move billions of dollars outside Minnesota, spurring Walz to coax lawmakers to modify the bill, the Reformer reported.

Nurses generally have supported Walz. The Minnesota Nurses Association endorsed him in his gubernatorial campaigns in 2018 and 2022. In 2018, Mary C. Turner, president of the Minnesota Nurses Association, said, “Nurses are proud to call Tim Walz a union brother.”

Costs of medical care

Walz has taken a number of steps aimed at the high costs of healthcare.

In June 2024, Walz signed legislation prohibiting hospitals and other providers from denying medically necessary care to patients with unpaid medical debts. The bill also will ensure that medical debt isn’t used as a negative on credit scores. The legislation takes effect Oct. 1.

Walz signed a law last year offering more paid family leave for Minnesota residents. Residents can take up to 12 weeks off each year to care for a family member with illness or to care for a newborn, and they can take 12 weeks to recover from their own illness, as CBS reports. Residents taking advantage of both options would be limited to a total of 20 weeks. The legislation takes effect in 2026.

Under Walz’s administration, Minnesota has also taken steps to shed more light into the cost drivers of prescription drugs. In June, Minnesota published its first list of 364 drugs that are now subject to new rules aimed at improving transparency in prescription drug prices. Walz called it “a major step towards our goal of creating a more affordable health care system.”

He also signed legislation in 2020 to allow qualified residents to obtain a 30-day supply of insulin for $35, and discounted prices for up to a year for eligible individuals.

Walz also formed an advisory board looking at prescription drug prices.

Other issues

Walz worked with legislators on both sides of the aisle to direct more aid to Minnesota’s cash-strapped nursing homes.

The package directed $173 million in aid to nursing homes and long-term care facilities.

Walz also signed an executive order last year designed to protect the rights of LGBTQ+ residents seeking gender-affirming care. “As states across the country move to ban access to gender-affirming care, we want LGBTQ Minnesotans to know they will continue to be safe, protected, and welcome,” Walz said last year.

Under Walz’s administration, Minnesota now ensures that all students can have free meals at schools, and schools are reimbursed for meals provided to students who don’t qualify for free or lower-cost meals.