1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to health; modifying the definition of home 
  1.3             care service; modifying home care service information 
  1.4             requirements; amending Minnesota Statutes 1994, 
  1.5             sections 144A.43, subdivision 3; and 144A.47. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 144A.43, 
  1.8   subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subd. 3.  [HOME CARE SERVICE.] "Home care service" means 
  1.10  any of the following services when delivered in a place of 
  1.11  residence to a person whose illness, disability, or physical 
  1.12  condition creates a need for the service:  
  1.13     (1) nursing services, including the services of a home 
  1.14  health aide; 
  1.15     (2) personal care services not included under sections 
  1.16  148.171 to 148.285; 
  1.17     (3) physical therapy; 
  1.18     (4) speech therapy; 
  1.19     (5) respiratory therapy; 
  1.20     (6) occupational therapy; 
  1.21     (7) nutritional services; 
  1.22     (8) home management services when provided to a person who 
  1.23  is unable to perform these activities due to illness, 
  1.24  disability, or physical condition.  Home management services 
  1.25  include at least two of the following services:  housekeeping, 
  2.1   meal preparation, and shopping; 
  2.2      (9) medical social services; 
  2.3      (10) the provision of medical supplies and equipment when 
  2.4   accompanied by the provision of a home care service; 
  2.5      (11) the provision of a hospice program as specified in 
  2.6   section 144A.48; and 
  2.7      (12) other similar medical services and health-related 
  2.8   support services identified by the commissioner in rule.  
  2.9      "Home care service" does not include the following 
  2.10  activities conducted by the commissioner of health or a board of 
  2.11  health as defined in section 145A.02, subdivision 2:  
  2.12  communicable disease investigations or testing; administering or 
  2.13  monitoring a prescribed therapy necessary to control or prevent 
  2.14  a communicable disease; or the monitoring of an individual's 
  2.15  compliance with a health directive as defined in section 
  2.16  144.4172, subdivision 6. 
  2.17     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 144A.47, is 
  2.18  amended to read: 
  2.19     144A.47 [INFORMATION AND REFERRAL SERVICES.] 
  2.20     The commissioner shall ensure that information and referral 
  2.21  services relating to home care are available in all regions of 
  2.22  the state.  The commissioner shall collect and make available 
  2.23  information about available home care services, sources of 
  2.24  payment, providers, and the rights of consumers.  The 
  2.25  commissioner may require home care providers to provide 
  2.26  information requested for the purposes of this section, 
  2.27  including price information, as a condition of registration or 
  2.28  licensure.  Specific price information furnished by providers 
  2.29  under this section is not public data and must not be released 
  2.30  without the written permission of the agency.  The commissioner 
  2.31  may publish and make available: 
  2.32     (1) general information and a summary of the range of 
  2.33  prices of describing home care services in the state; 
  2.34     (2) limitations on hours, availability of services, and 
  2.35  eligibility for third-party payments, applicable to individual 
  2.36  providers; and 
  3.1      (3) other information the commissioner determines to be 
  3.2   appropriate.