HF 3801

as introduced - 86th Legislature (2009 - 2010) Posted on 04/26/2010 11:23am

A bill for an act
relating to human services; modifying procedures for financial management
of the MinnesotaCare program; amending Minnesota Statutes 2008, section
256L.02, subdivision 3.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 256L.02, subdivision 3, is amended to read:

Subd. 3.

Financial management.

(a) The commissioner shall manage spending for
the MinnesotaCare program in a manner that maintains a minimum reserve. As part of each
state revenue and expenditure forecast, the commissioner must make an assessment of the
expected expenditures for the covered services for the remainder of the current biennium
and for the following biennium. The estimated expenditure, including the reserve, shall be
compared to an estimate of the revenues that will be available in the health care access
fund. Based on this comparison, and after consulting with the chairs of the house of
representatives Ways and Means Committee and the senate Finance Committee, and the
Legislative Commission on Health Care Access, the commissioner shall, as necessary,
make deleted text begin the deleted text end adjustments deleted text begin specified in deleted text end new text begin according to new text end paragraph (b) to ensure that expenditures
remain within the limits of available revenues for the remainder of the current biennium
and for the following biennium. The commissioner shall not hire additional staff using
appropriations from the health care access fund until the commissioner of management
and budget makes a determination that the adjustments implemented under paragraph (b)
are sufficient to allow MinnesotaCare expenditures to remain within the limits of available
revenues for the remainder of the current biennium and for the following biennium.

(b) deleted text begin The adjustments the commissioner shall use must be implemented in this order:
first, stop enrollment of single adults and households without children; second, upon 45
days' notice, stop coverage of single adults and households without children already
enrolled in the MinnesotaCare program; third, upon 90 days' notice, decrease the premium
subsidy amounts by ten percent for families with gross annual income above 200 percent
of the federal poverty guidelines; fourth, upon 90 days' notice, decrease the premium
subsidy amounts by ten percent for families with gross annual income at or below 200
percent; and fifth, require applicants to be uninsured for at least six months prior to
eligibility in the MinnesotaCare program. If these measures are insufficient to limit the
expenditures to the estimated amount of revenue, the commissioner shall further limit
enrollment or decrease premium subsidies. deleted text end new text begin If a state revenue and expenditure forecast
projects that MinnesotaCare expenditures will not remain within the limits of available
revenues for the remainder of the current biennium and for the following biennium, the
commissioner shall implement adjustments to the MinnesotaCare program sufficient
to limit the expenditures to the estimated amount of revenue. The adjustments may
include, but are not limited to, stopping new enrollment, eliminating coverage for persons
already enrolled, reducing premium subsidies, and extending the period by which persons
must be uninsured prior to enrollment. These adjustments may be made for subgroups
of MinnesotaCare applicants and enrollees or for all applicants and enrollees. The
commissioner shall provide the chairs of the house of representatives Ways and Means
Committee and the senate Finance Committee, and the Legislative Commission on Health
Care Access, with at least 14 days' notice of the adjustments that will be implemented.
new text end