Estbalishing cost-growth benchmark. This bill establishes the Health Care Affordability Board, which must be operational by January 1, 2024, to protect consumers, state and local governments, health plan companies, providers, and other health care system stakeholders from unaffordable health care costs. It establishes the Health Care Affordability Advisory Council to provide advice to the board on health care costs and access issues. For both the board and the council, the bill establishes membership, member compensation, staffing, duties, and other operational requirements. Additionally, the bill requires the board to create an Office of Patient Protection. This bill requires health care spending targets to be set by June 15, 2024, and by June 15 every year thereafter through June 15, 2028, for the next calendar year. The board is directed to report implementation progress by February 15, 2025, and February 15, 2026. Health care spending trends must be reported by the board by December 15, 2025, and every December 15 thereafter. This bill amends Minnesota Statutes, section 62U.04 to allow for the board to use data from the Minnesota All Payer Claims Database (MN APCD). The bill states that the board may “request that a state agency provide the board with any publicly available information in a usable format as requested by the board, at no cost to the board” and the “Health Economics Division” within MDH will “provide technical assistance to the board in analyzing health care trends and costs and in setting health care spending growth targets.”