A new federal analysis of hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and other medical providers ranks Minnesota's health care system the best in the U.S. The Star Tribune reports the state was first in care at medical clinics, fourth in care at hospitals, eighth in nursing homes, but 43rd in home health care. Wisconsin fell to second after it was ranked first last year. Iowa ranked sixth, North Dakota eighth and South Dakota 11th.

Rochester-based Mayo will share the grant money from the U.S. Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to fund health-reform efforts aimed at improving patient care and management. Mayo Clinic expects the $60 million taxpayer investment to generate nearly $173 million in savings. The Post Bulletin has details on the three projects funded by the grant.

The Post Bulletin reports the Rochester-based clinic plans to spend $3.5 billion on capital investments system-wide over the next five years. Sixty percent of that money will be used for equipment, researchers and technology. The remaining 40 percent will go towards construction projects.

The federal health care overhaul was aimed at providing affordable health insurance to millions of Americans who lack it. But a low-income group falls into a kind of no-man's land for affordable coverage, and Minnesota officials are considering an optional program to help fill this gap. But there is a huge unknown: cost.

The Minnesota Health Department reports the growth in health care spending was just 2.2 percent in 2010. That's the smallest increase in more than a decade. The health commissioner says it could be the result of cash-strapped Minnesotans putting off medical procedures. If so, the figure may soar as those deferred medical needs demand attention.

Minnetonka-based UnitedHealth, the nation's largest health insurer, told the Associated Press it plans to keep and extend some provisions of the federal health-reform legislation regardless of whether the law is overturned. The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling later this month on the law's constitutionality.

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to issue its decision on the constitutionality of the 2010 Affordable Care Act this week. Democratic Congressman Keith Ellison, who represents Minnesota's 5th District, is among those concerned that the court will rule that the mandate is unconstitutional, MPR reports. Republican U.S. Rep. John Kline of Minnesota's 2nd District says that if the court rules against any part of the bill, the GOP will try to scrap the entire thing.