HF 1553

1st Engrossment - 90th Legislature (2017 - 2018) Posted on 03/13/2017 04:04pm

A bill for an act
relating to human services; modifying medical assistance and managed care
requirements and payment rates for nonemergency medical transportation;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 256B.0625, subdivisions 17, 17b, 18h,
by adding a subdivision.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 256B.0625, subdivision 17, is amended to
read:

Subd. 17.

Transportation costs.

(a) "Nonemergency medical transportation service"
means motor vehicle transportation provided by a public or private person that serves
Minnesota health care program beneficiaries who do not require emergency ambulance
service, as defined in section 144E.001, subdivision 3, to obtain covered medical services.

(b) Medical assistance covers medical transportation costs incurred solely for obtaining
emergency medical care or transportation costs incurred by eligible persons in obtaining
emergency or nonemergency medical care when paid directly to an ambulance company,
deleted text begin common carrier deleted text end new text begin nonemergency medical transportation company new text end , or other recognized
providers of transportation services. Medical transportation must be provided by:

(1) nonemergency medical transportation providers who meet the requirements of this
subdivision;

(2) ambulances, as defined in section 144E.001, subdivision 2;

(3) taxicabs new text begin that meet the requirements of this subdivision new text end ;

(4) public transit, as defined in section 174.22, subdivision 7; or

(5) not-for-hire vehicles, including volunteer drivers.

(c) Medical assistance covers nonemergency medical transportation provided by
nonemergency medical transportation providers enrolled in the Minnesota health care
programs. All nonemergency medical transportation providers must comply with the
operating standards for special transportation service as defined in sections 174.29 to 174.30
and Minnesota Rules, chapter 8840, and in consultation with the Minnesota Department of
Transportation. All nonemergency medical transportation providers shall bill for
nonemergency medical transportation services in accordance with Minnesota health care
programs criteria. Publicly operated transit systems, volunteers, and not-for-hire vehicles
are exempt from the requirements outlined in this paragraph.

(d) An organization may be terminated, denied, or suspended from enrollment if:

(1) the provider has not initiated background studies on the individuals specified in
section 174.30, subdivision 10, paragraph (a), clauses (1) to (3); or

(2) the provider has initiated background studies on the individuals specified in section
174.30, subdivision 10, paragraph (a), clauses (1) to (3), and:

(i) the commissioner has sent the provider a notice that the individual has been
disqualified under section 245C.14; and

(ii) the individual has not received a disqualification set-aside specific to the special
transportation services provider under sections 245C.22 and 245C.23.

(e) The administrative agency of nonemergency medical transportation must:

(1) adhere to the policies defined by the commissioner in consultation with the
Nonemergency Medical Transportation Advisory Committee;

(2) pay nonemergency medical transportation providers for services provided to
Minnesota health care programs beneficiaries to obtain covered medical services;

(3) provide data monthly to the commissioner on appeals, complaints, no-shows, canceled
trips, and number of trips by mode; and

(4) by July 1, 2016, in accordance with subdivision 18e, utilize a Web-based single
administrative structure assessment tool that meets the technical requirements established
by the commissioner, reconciles trip information with claims being submitted by providers,
and ensures prompt payment for nonemergency medical transportation services.

(f) Until the commissioner implements the single administrative structure and delivery
system under subdivision 18e, clients shall obtain their level-of-service certificate from the
commissioner or an entity approved by the commissioner that does not dispatch rides for
clients using modes of transportation under paragraph (i), clauses (4), (5), (6), and (7).

(g) The commissioner may use an order by the recipient's attending physician or a medical
or mental health professional to certify that the recipient requires nonemergency medical
transportation services. Nonemergency medical transportation providers shall perform
driver-assisted services for eligible individuals, when appropriate. Driver-assisted service
includes passenger pickup at and return to the individual's residence or place of business,
assistance with admittance of the individual to the medical facility, and assistance in
passenger securement or in securing of wheelchairs new text begin , child seats, new text end or stretchers in the vehicle.

Nonemergency medical transportation providers must take clients to the health care
provider using the most direct route, and must not exceed 30 miles for a trip to a primary
care provider or 60 miles for a trip to a specialty care provider, unless the client receives
authorization from the local agency.

Nonemergency medical transportation providers may not bill for separate base rates for
the continuation of a trip beyond the original destination. Nonemergency medical
transportation providers must maintain trip logs, which include pickup and drop-off times,
signed by the medical provider or client, whichever is deemed most appropriate, attesting
to mileage traveled to obtain covered medical services. Clients requesting client mileage
reimbursement must sign the trip log attesting mileage traveled to obtain covered medical
services.

(h) The administrative agency shall use the level of service process established by the
commissioner in consultation with the Nonemergency Medical Transportation Advisory
Committee to determine the client's most appropriate mode of transportation. If public transit
or a certified transportation provider is not available to provide the appropriate service mode
for the client, the client may receive a onetime service upgrade.

(i) The covered modes of transportation deleted text begin , which may not be implemented without a new
rate structure, deleted text end are:

(1) client reimbursement, which includes client mileage reimbursement provided to
clients who have their own transportation, or to family or an acquaintance who provides
transportation to the client;

(2) volunteer transport, which includes transportation by volunteers using their own
vehicle;

(3) unassisted transport, which includes transportation provided to a client by a taxicab
or public transit. If a taxicab or public transit is not available, the client can receive
transportation from another nonemergency medical transportation provider;

(4) assisted transport, which includes transport provided to clients who require assistance
by a nonemergency medical transportation provider;

(5) lift-equipped/ramp transport, which includes transport provided to a client who is
dependent on a device and requires a nonemergency medical transportation provider with
a vehicle containing a lift or ramp;

(6) protected transport, which includes transport provided to a client who has received
a prescreening that has deemed other forms of transportation inappropriate and who requires
a provider: (i) with a protected vehicle that is not an ambulance or police car and has safety
locks, a video recorder, and a transparent thermoplastic partition between the passenger and
the vehicle driver; and (ii) who is certified as a protected transport provider; and

(7) stretcher transport, which includes transport for a client in a prone or supine position
and requires a nonemergency medical transportation provider with a vehicle that can transport
a client in a prone or supine position.

(j) The local agency shall be the single administrative agency and shall administer and
reimburse for modes defined in paragraph (i) according to paragraphs (m) and (n) when the
commissioner has developed, made available, and funded the Web-based single
administrative structure, assessment tool, and level of need assessment under subdivision
18e. The local agency's financial obligation is limited to funds provided by the state or
federal government.

(k) The commissioner shall:

(1) in consultation with the Nonemergency Medical Transportation Advisory Committee,
verify that the mode and use of nonemergency medical transportation is appropriate;

(2) verify that the client is going to an approved medical appointment; and

(3) investigate all complaints and appeals.

(l) The administrative agency shall pay for the services provided in this subdivision and
seek reimbursement from the commissioner, if appropriate. As vendors of medical care,
local agencies are subject to the provisions in section 256B.041, the sanctions and monetary
recovery actions in section 256B.064, and Minnesota Rules, parts 9505.2160 to 9505.2245.

(m) Payments for nonemergency medical transportation must be paid based on the client's
assessed mode under paragraph (h), not the type of vehicle used to provide the service. The
medical assistance reimbursement rates for nonemergency medical transportation services
that are payable by or on behalf of the commissioner for nonemergency medical
transportation services are:

(1) $0.22 per mile for client reimbursement;

(2) up to 100 percent of the Internal Revenue Service business deduction rate for volunteer
transport;

(3) equivalent to the standard fare for unassisted transport when provided by public
transit, and $11 for the base rate and $1.30 per mile when provided by a nonemergency
medical transportation provider;

(4) $13 for the base rate and $1.30 per mile for assisted transport;

(5) $18 for the base rate and $1.55 per mile for lift-equipped/ramp transport;

(6) $75 for the base rate and $2.40 per mile for protected transport; and

(7) $60 for the base rate and $2.40 per mile for stretcher transport, and $9 per trip for
an additional attendant if deemed medically necessary.

(n) The base rate for nonemergency medical transportation services in areas defined
under RUCA to be super rural is equal to 111.3 percent of the respective base rate in
paragraph (m), clauses (1) to (7). The mileage rate for nonemergency medical transportation
services in areas defined under RUCA to be rural or super rural areas is:

(1) for a trip equal to deleted text begin 17 deleted text end new text begin 50 new text end miles or less, equal to 125 percent of the respective mileage
rate in paragraph (m), clauses (1) to (7); and

(2) for a trip deleted text begin between 18 and deleted text end new text begin greater than new text end 50 miles, equal to 112.5 percent of the respective
mileage rate in paragraph (m), clauses (1) to (7).

(o) For purposes of reimbursement rates for nonemergency medical transportation
services under paragraphs (m) and (n), the zip code of the recipient's place of residence
shall determine whether the urban, rural, or super rural reimbursement rate applies.

(p) For purposes of this subdivision, "rural urban commuting area" or "RUCA" means
a census-tract based classification system under which a geographical area is determined
to be urban, rural, or super rural.

new text begin (q) The commissioner, when determining reimbursement rates for nonemergency medical
transportation under paragraphs (m) and (n), shall exempt all modes of transportation listed
under paragraph (i) from Minnesota Rules, part 9505.0445, item R, subitem (2).
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 256B.0625, subdivision 17b, is amended to read:

Subd. 17b.

Documentation required.

(a) As a condition for payment, nonemergency
medical transportation providers must document each occurrence of a service provided to
a recipient according to this subdivision. Providers must maintain odometer and other records
sufficient to distinguish individual trips with specific vehicles and drivers. The documentation
may be collected and maintained using electronic systems or software or in paper form but
must be made available and produced upon request. Program funds paid for transportation
that is not documented according to this subdivision shall be recovered by the department.

(b) A nonemergency medical transportation provider must compile transportation records
that meet the following requirements:

(1) the record must be in English and must be legible according to the standard of a
reasonable person;

(2) the recipient's name must be on each page of the record; and

(3) each entry in the record must document:

(i) the date on which the entry is made;

(ii) the date or dates the service is provided;

(iii) the printed last name, first name, and middle initial of the driver;

(iv) the signature of the driver attesting to the following: "I certify that I have accurately
reported in this record the trip miles I actually drove and the dates and times I actually drove
them. I understand that misreporting the miles driven and hours worked is fraud for which
I could face criminal prosecution or civil proceedings.";

(v) the signature of the recipient or authorized party attesting to the following: "I certify
that I received the reported transportation service.", or the signature of the provider of
medical services certifying that the recipient was delivered to the provider;

(vi) the address, or the description if the address is not available, of both the origin and
destination, and the mileage for the most direct route from the origin to the destination;

(vii) the mode of transportation in which the service is provided;

(viii) the license plate number of the vehicle used to transport the recipient;

(ix) whether the service was ambulatory or nonambulatory deleted text begin until the modes under
subdivision 17 are implemented deleted text end ;

(x) the time of the pickup and the time of the drop-off with "a.m." and "p.m."
designations;

(xi) the name of the extra attendant when an extra attendant is used to provide special
transportation service; and

(xii) the electronic source documentation used to calculate driving directions and mileage.

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 256B.0625, is amended by adding a subdivision
to read:

new text begin Subd. 17c. new text end

new text begin Nursing facility transports. new text end

new text begin A Minnesota health care program enrollee
residing in, or being discharged from, a licensed nursing facility is exempt from a level of
need determination and is eligible for nonemergency medical transportation services until
the enrollee no longer resides in a licensed nursing facility, as provided in section 256B.04,
subdivision 14a.
new text end

Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 256B.0625, subdivision 18h, is amended to read:

Subd. 18h.

Managed care.

new text begin (a) new text end The following subdivisions deleted text begin do not deleted text end apply to managed
care plans and county-based purchasing plans:

(1) subdivision 17, paragraphs deleted text begin (d) to (k) deleted text end new text begin (a), (b), (i), and (n) new text end ;

(2) subdivision deleted text begin 18e deleted text end new text begin 18 new text end ; and

(3) subdivision deleted text begin 18g deleted text end new text begin 18a new text end .

new text begin (b) A nonemergency medical transportation provider must comply with the operating
standards for special transportation service specified in sections 174.29 to 174.30 and
Minnesota Rules, chapter 8840. Publicly operated transit systems, volunteers, and not-for-hire
vehicles are exempt from the requirements in this paragraph.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end