1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to human services; raising the income limit 
  1.3             for the prescription drug program; requiring enrollees 
  1.4             to satisfy monthly deductibles based on a sliding 
  1.5             scale; shortening the timeline for the enrollment of 
  1.6             disabled individuals; appropriating money; amending 
  1.7             Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 256.955, subdivisions 
  1.8             2a and 7; repealing Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 
  1.9             256.955, subdivision 2b. 
  1.10  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.11     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 256.955, 
  1.12  subdivision 2a, is amended to read: 
  1.13     Subd. 2a.  [ELIGIBILITY.] An individual satisfying the 
  1.14  following requirements and the requirements described in 
  1.15  subdivision 2, paragraph (d), is eligible for the prescription 
  1.16  drug program: 
  1.17     (1) is at least 65 years of age or older; and 
  1.18     (2) is eligible as a qualified Medicare beneficiary 
  1.19  according to section 256B.057, subdivision 3 or 3a, or is 
  1.20  eligible under section 256B.057, subdivision 3 or 3a, and is 
  1.21  also eligible for medical assistance or general assistance 
  1.22  medical care with a spenddown as defined in section 256B.056, 
  1.23  subdivision 5 enrollee; 
  1.24     (2) has assets with a value of no more than $10,000 for a 
  1.25  single individual and $18,000 for a married couple or family of 
  1.26  two or more, using the asset methodology for aged, blind, or 
  1.27  disabled individuals specified in section 256B.056, subdivision 
  2.1   1a; and 
  2.2      (3) has a household income that does not exceed 150 percent 
  2.3   of the federal poverty guidelines, using the income methodology 
  2.4   for aged, blind, or disabled individuals specified in section 
  2.5   256B.056, subdivision 1a. 
  2.6      Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 256.955, 
  2.7   subdivision 7, is amended to read: 
  2.8      Subd. 7.  [COST SHARING.] Program enrollees must satisfy 
  2.9   a $420 annual monthly deductible, based upon expenditures for 
  2.10  prescription drugs, to be paid in $35 monthly increments.  The 
  2.11  monthly deductible must be calculated by the commissioner based 
  2.12  upon the household income of the enrollee expressed as a 
  2.13  percentage of the federal poverty guidelines, using the 
  2.14  following sliding scale: 
  2.15            Household Income          Monthly Deductible
  2.16              of Enrollee
  2.17       not more than 120 percent             $35
  2.18       more than 120 percent
  2.19       but not more than 125 percent         $43
  2.20       more than 125 percent
  2.21       but not more than 130 percent         $52
  2.22       more than 130 percent
  2.23       but not more than 135 percent         $60
  2.24       more than 135 percent 
  2.25       but not more than 140 percent         $68
  2.26       more than 140 percent
  2.27       but not more than 145 percent         $77
  2.28       more than 145 percent
  2.29       but not more than 150 percent         $85
  2.30     Sec. 3.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.31     $....... is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  2.32  commissioner of human services, for the biennium ending June 30, 
  2.33  2003, to implement sections 1 and 2. 
  2.34     Sec. 4.  [REPEALER.] 
  2.35     Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 256.955, subdivision 2b, 
  2.36  is repealed, effective July 1, 2001. 
  3.1      Sec. 5.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  3.2      Sections 1 and 2 are effective July 1, 2001.