1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to human services; authorizing certain 
  1.3             hospitals and clinics to bill a county of residence 
  1.4             for services provided to a resident of that county; 
  1.5             amending Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 256.969, by 
  1.6             adding a subdivision; proposing coding for new law in 
  1.7             Minnesota Statutes, chapter 256B. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 256.969, is 
  1.10  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  1.11     Subd. 9c.  [COUNTY BILLING.] Hospitals that have a medical 
  1.12  assistance disproportionate population adjustment greater than 
  1.13  eight percent shall be eligible for a special payment for 
  1.14  uncompensated care.  These hospitals may bill a county of 
  1.15  residence for services provided to a resident of that county 
  1.16  provided that: 
  1.17     (1) the patient is from a county other than the county in 
  1.18  which the hospital is located; and 
  1.19     (2) the hospital has made a preliminary determination at 
  1.20  the time service is delivered that: 
  1.21     (i) the patient is not eligible for any public health care 
  1.22  program or it cannot be determined whether the person is 
  1.23  eligible for any public health care program; 
  1.24     (ii) the person is uninsured or it cannot be determined if 
  1.25  the person is uninsured; and 
  1.26     (iii) the person has insufficient resources to pay the cost 
  2.1   of services delivered by the hospital. 
  2.2      Counties that are billed under this program must pay 
  2.3   eligible hospitals at the rates established under the medical 
  2.4   assistance program.  If the county can establish eligibility for 
  2.5   a public health care program after the service has been 
  2.6   delivered, the hospital shall refund any amount received from 
  2.7   the county and shall bill the program for which eligibility has 
  2.8   been established.  Annually, each eligible hospital shall sum 
  2.9   the amount collected from each county.  If this sum is less than 
  2.10  $10,000, the hospital shall refund this sum to the county. 
  2.11     Sec. 2.  [256B.053] [COUNTY BILLING BY CLINICS.] 
  2.12     Clinics that:  (1) serve the primary health care needs of 
  2.13  low-income population groups; (2) use a sliding fee scale based 
  2.14  on ability to pay and do not limit access to care because of 
  2.15  financial limitations of the client; and (3) are nonprofit under 
  2.16  chapter 317, or are federally qualified health centers, shall be 
  2.17  eligible for a special payment for uncompensated care.  The 
  2.18  clinics may bill a county of residence for services provided to 
  2.19  a resident of that county provided that: 
  2.20     (1) the patient is from a county other than the county in 
  2.21  which the clinic is located; and 
  2.22     (2) the clinic has made a preliminary determination at the 
  2.23  time service is delivered that: 
  2.24     (i) the patient is not eligible for any public health care 
  2.25  program or it cannot be determined whether the person is 
  2.26  eligible for any public health care program; 
  2.27     (ii) the person is uninsured or it cannot be determined if 
  2.28  the person is uninsured; and 
  2.29     (iii) the person has insufficient resources to pay the cost 
  2.30  of services delivered by the clinic. 
  2.31     Counties that are billed under this program shall pay 
  2.32  eligible clinics at the rates established under the medical 
  2.33  assistance program.  If the county can establish eligibility for 
  2.34  a public health care program after service has been delivered, 
  2.35  the clinic shall refund any amount received from the county and 
  2.36  shall bill the program for which eligibility has been 
  3.1   established.  Annually, each eligible clinic shall sum the 
  3.2   amount collected from each county.  If this sum is less than 
  3.3   $10,000, the clinic shall refund this sum to the county.