1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to health care; authorizing certain managed 
  1.3             care organizations to file public health collaboration 
  1.4             plans; requiring a study of national accreditation 
  1.5             organizations for health care organizations; requiring 
  1.6             a report of state consumer assistance activities; 
  1.7             amending Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 62Q.075, 
  1.8             subdivision 2. 
  1.9   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.10     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 62Q.075, 
  1.11  subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  1.12     Subd. 2.  [REQUIREMENT.] (a) Beginning October 31, 1997, 
  1.13  all managed care organizations shall file biennially with the 
  1.14  action plans required under section 62Q.07 a plan describing the 
  1.15  actions the managed care organization has taken and those it 
  1.16  intends to take to contribute to achieving public health goals 
  1.17  for each service area in which an enrollee of the managed care 
  1.18  organization resides.  This plan must be jointly developed in 
  1.19  collaboration with the local public health units, appropriate 
  1.20  regional coordinating boards, and other community organizations 
  1.21  providing health services within the same service area as the 
  1.22  managed care organization.  Local government units with 
  1.23  responsibilities and authority defined under chapters 145A and 
  1.24  256E may designate individuals to participate in the 
  1.25  collaborative planning with the managed care organization to 
  1.26  provide expertise and represent community needs and goals as 
  1.27  identified under chapters 145A and 256E. 
  2.1      (b) Local public health agencies may ask managed care 
  2.2   organizations that are not required to collaborate to 
  2.3   collaborate voluntarily.  A managed care organization that is 
  2.4   not required to comply with this section may voluntarily file a 
  2.5   collaboration plan describing the actions the managed care 
  2.6   organization has taken and those it intends to take to 
  2.7   contribute to achieving public health goals. 
  2.8      Sec. 2.  [STUDY OF NATIONAL ACCREDITATION ORGANIZATIONS.] 
  2.9      The commissioner of health shall study the requirements of 
  2.10  national accreditation organizations for health care 
  2.11  organizations and identify any overlaps of these requirements 
  2.12  with the state statutory or regulatory requirements.  The 
  2.13  commissioner shall submit findings from this study to the 
  2.14  legislature by January 15, 1998. 
  2.15     Sec. 3.  [REPORT ON STATE CONSUMER ASSISTANCE ACTIVITIES.] 
  2.16     The commissioner of health, in consultation with affected 
  2.17  state agencies, offices, and ombudsman programs, shall submit a 
  2.18  report to the legislature regarding the feasibility and 
  2.19  desirability of:  consolidating and improving coordination of 
  2.20  some or all existing state consumer assistance activities; and 
  2.21  the establishment of the statewide consumer assistance office to 
  2.22  help consumers locate these services.  The report must include a 
  2.23  budget that does not exceed the combined base level funding of 
  2.24  existing programs.