>> ERIC: WELCOME TO "ALMANAC."

WE HAVE A FULL HOUR FOR YOU TONIGHT.

WE'LL SPEND TIME LOOKING BACK AT THE LEGACY OF SPEAKER EMERITA MELISSA HORTMAN ONE YEAR AFTER HER ASSASSINATION, DFL AND REPUBLICAN PARTY CHAIRS ARE HERE TO TALK POLITICS, AND TANE DANGER SHARES A SPECIAL TRANSIT TRIP.

>> CATHY: WE START TONIGHT WITH THE BIG HEALTH CARE STORY OF THE WEEK, THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA AND FAIRVIEW HEALTH SYSTEMS REACHED A DEAL TO CONTINUE THEIR PARTNERSHIP.

THE BOARD OF REGENTS APPROVED THE AGREEMENT THIS AFTERNOON.

CHRISTOPHER SNOWBECK COVERS HEALTHCARE FOR THE MINNESOTA STAR TRIBUNE.

ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU HERE.

THIS IS AN INTERESTING STORY BECAUSE BOTH PARTIES, THERE WAS A LOT OF ANGST AND ANIMOSITY BETWEEN BOTH PARTIES, BUT EVIDENTLY EACH NEEDS EACH OTHER.

>> THEY NEED EACH OTHER, THAT'S RIGHT, YEAH.

IT'S A 30-YEAR STORY, IN THE '90s, THE UNIVERSITY OWNED THE HOSPITAL, NEEDED A BAILOUT, FAIRVIEW CAME IN AND THEY'VE BEEN TRYING TO MAKE IT WORK EVER SINCE.

>> Cathy: WHY HAS IT BEEN SUCH A FRAUGHT RELATIONSHIP?

>> I MEAN, I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF NEEDS, RIGHT, IN HEALTHCARE.

I MEAN, THE MORE MONEY YOU HAVE, THE MORE YOU CAN DO.

THERE WOULD BE A LOT OF THINGS YOU COULD FUND, BUT MONEY'S NOT LIMITLESS.

I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S THE ESSENCE OF IT.

AND I THINK WHEN TIMES GET A LITTLE TOUGH, YOU CAN BLAME THE OTHER PARTY, YOU KNOW, MAYBE ONE SIDE -- >> Eric: IMPACT ON PATIENTS AND RESEARCH?

>> YOU KNOW, I THINK FOR PATIENTS RIGHT NOW, IT'S STATUS QUO, NOT REALLY AN IMPACT.

I THINK -- I MEAN, THERE ARE TWO BIG -- AT LEAST TWO BIG QUESTIONS.

I MEAN, NUMBER ONE S THE ATTORNEY GENERAL WAS REALLY PUSHING FOR THIS RESOLUTION BECAUSE AS LONG AS THERE WAS INSTABILITY, THERE WAS CONCERN ABOUT DOCTORS JUST LEAVING, RIGHT, BECAUSE ACADEMIC MEDICINE PHYSICIANS ARE IN DEMAND, THEY CAN MOVE.

WE HAVEN'T SEEN, LIKE, A MASS EXODUS.

BUT IT WOULD TAKE A LITTLE TIME.

SO I THINK WE NEED TO KEEP WATCHING, YOU KNOW, ON THAT SIDE OF IT.

ON THE RESEARCH, TOO, YOU KNOW, THE FUNDING, IT'S A LITTLE UNCLEAR PRECISELY WHAT THE FUNDING LOOKS LIKES GOING FORWARD.

BUT WE KNOW THAT A CHUNK OF IT IS VARIABLE AND WHEN I THINK OF RESEARCH, RESEARCH IS LIKE MULTIYEAR, USUALLY, SO I'M NOT EXACTLY -- I THINK THERE'S SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT FUNDING RESEARCH GOING FORWARD BUT, OF COURSE, THAT'S IN THE CONTEXT, WE'VE GOT ALL SORTS OF UNCERTAINTY ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL FOR RESEARCH, TOO, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY A BIGGER -- >> Cathy: SO LET'S BE CLEAR.

THERE IS THIS AGREEMENT.

BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THERE'S COMPLETE PEACE IN THE VALLEY, GIVEN THAT.

WHAT'S THE HUBBUB ABOUT THE SIGNAGE AT SOME OF THE FACILITIES, IS IT AT THE RIVERSIDE CAMPUS, SOUTHDALE, WILL IT BE CALLED THE SAME THING OR WHAT?

>> WELL, OKAY, SO THEY ANNOUNCED BACK IN JANUARY THAT THEY WOULD -- IN 2019, THERE WAS A BIG IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT, THEY LAUNCHED THE BRAND M HEALTH FAIRVIEW, SO THEY ANNOUNCED IN JANUARY THEY'RE GETTING RID OF HAT.

YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THERE'S SOME SYMBOLISM THERE, RIGHT, M HEALTH FAIRVIEW, WE'RE ALL IN IT TOGETHER AND THERE'S SOME CERTAIN THINGS THAT ARE KIND OF FALLING AWAY, BEHIND THE SCENES KIND OF WITH THE PARTNERSHIP.

SO, AND THEN WHAT WE LEARNED THIS WEEK IS THAT THE UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL, WHICH WE KNOW IS UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA MEDICAL CENTER, YOU KNOW, THE UNIVERSITY'S NOT GOING TO ALLOW FAIRVIEW TO CALL IT THAT ANYMORE, WHICH IS, AGAIN, JUST KIND OF SUGGESTIVE OF THE TENSIONS.

SO THE NAME, I THINK THEY PUT FORWARD, I CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER, IT'S LIKE FAIRVIEW UNIVERSITY EAST BANK HOSPITAL, I THINK, FOR LIKE THE ADULT CARE HOSPITAL ON CAMPUS.

>> Cathy: INTERESTING.

SAY, WHAT'S THE STORY -- I'M GOING TO KIND OF TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF A DEVIATION HERE.

YOU WROTE ABOUT THIS.

UNITED HEALTHCARE, THEIR MEDICARE PATIENTS ARE GOING TO BE CUT OFF FROM FAIRVIEW, WHAT'S THAT ABOUT?

>> WELL, SO THIS IS ANOTHER CONTRACT DISPUTE.

AND, SO, FAIRVIEW, IT'S KIND OF A -- IT'S A PIT BIT OF A DO T FALL FAIRVIEW GAVE NOTICE THAT THEY DIDN'T WANT TO BE IN UNITED'S MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN AS OF JANUARY 1 -- JANUARY 1, 2026, THEY CAME TO AN AGREEMENT, IT WAS A ONE-YEAR AGREEMENT, SO FAIRVIEW JUST YESTERDAY STARTED NOTIFYING PATIENTS FOR 2027, WE'RE NOT DOING IT.

SO WHAT THAT MEANS -- THE WAY THEY PUT IT, WE'RE NOT GOING TO SCHEDULE APPOINTMENTS.

THEY'LL STILL SEE EMERGENCIES, BY LAW THEY HAVE TO.

BUT NO MORE APPOINTMENTS.

NOW, I MEAN, THEY'RE SAYING IT'S A DONE DEAL.

LIKE, WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO WATCH BECAUSE, I MEAN, THERE'S ALWAYS -- >> Cathy: NEGOTIATION -- >> Eric: A LITTLE POSTURING HERE GOING ON.

>> YEAH.

BUT THE LANGUAGE IS MORE ASSERTIVE THAN IT WAS LAST FALL.

>> Cathy: BOY, IF YOU'RE A MEDICARE PATIENT, IT'S REALLY HARD TO KNOW WHAT TO DO AROUND HERE.

>> YEAH.

THIS IS PART OF THE WHOLE FUNDING QUESTION RIGHT NOW.

>> Cathy: EXCELLENT.

THANK YOU.

APPRECIATE IT, CHRIS.

>> SURE.

>> Cathy: HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND.

>> GOOD TO BE HERE.

>> Cathy: WELL, WE'RE