SF 1512

1st Engrossment - 86th Legislature (2009 - 2010) Posted on 02/09/2010 02:21am

A bill for an act
relating to health; changing the fee for testing heritable and congenital disorders;
requiring support services to families with children who are deaf or have hearing
loss; adjusting payment rates for hearing detection and intervention; appropriating
money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2008, sections 144.125, subdivision 1;
144.966, by adding a subdivision; 256.969, by adding a subdivision.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 144.125, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Duty to perform testing.

It is the duty of (1) the administrative
officer or other person in charge of each institution caring for infants 28 days or less
of age, (2) the person required in pursuance of the provisions of section 144.215, to
register the birth of a child, or (3) the nurse midwife or midwife in attendance at the
birth, to arrange to have administered to every infant or child in its care tests for heritable
and congenital disorders according to subdivision 2 and rules prescribed by the state
commissioner of health. Testing and the recording and reporting of test results shall be
performed at the times and in the manner prescribed by the commissioner of health. The
commissioner shall charge a fee so that the total of fees collected will approximate the
costs of conducting the tests and implementing and maintaining a system to follow-up
infants with heritable or congenital disorders, including hearing loss detected through the
early hearing detection and intervention program under section 144.966. The fee is $101
per specimen. new text begin Effective July 1, 2010, the fee shall be increased to $106 per specimen. The
increased fee amount shall be deposited in the general fund. new text end Costs associated with capital
expenditures and the development of new procedures may be prorated over a three-year
period when calculating the amount of the fees.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 144.966, is amended by adding a subdivision
to read:

new text begin Subd. 3a. new text end

new text begin Support services to families. new text end

new text begin The commissioner shall contract with
a nonprofit organization to provide support and assistance to families with children
who are deaf or have a hearing loss. The family support provided must include direct
parent-to-parent assistance and information on communication, educational, and medical
options. The commissioner shall give preference to a nonprofit organization that has the
ability to provide these services throughout the state.
new text end

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 256.969, is amended by adding a subdivision
to read:

new text begin Subd. 28. new text end

new text begin Payment for early hearing detection and intervention program. new text end

new text begin For
admissions occurring on or after July 1, 2010, payment rates shall be adjusted to include
the increase to the fee that is effective on July 1, 2010, for the early hearing detection and
intervention program recipients under section 144.125, subdivision 1, that is paid by the
hospital for public program recipients. This payment increase shall be limited under
subdivision 3a and shall be in effect until the increase is fully recognized in the base year
cost under subdivision 2b. This payment shall be included in payments to contracted
managed care organizations.
new text end

Sec. 4. new text begin APPROPRIATIONS.
new text end

new text begin (a) $16,000 is appropriated in fiscal year 2010 to the commissioner of health for
the purposes of implementing the fee increase in Minnesota Statutes, section 144.125,
subdivision 1. $260,000 is appropriated in fiscal year 2011 from the general fund to the
commissioner of health for the purposes of providing support services to families as
required under Minnesota Statutes, section 144.966, subdivision 3a. Of the fiscal year
2011 appropriation, $37,000 may be used by the commissioner for administrative costs
associated with contract administration and program oversight. Beginning in fiscal year
2012, the general fund base shall be $276,000, of which the commissioner may allocate
$35,000 for administrative purposes of the grant.
new text end

new text begin (b) $34,000 is appropriated in fiscal year 2011 from the general fund to the
commissioner of human services for the hospital reimbursement increase described under
Minnesota Statutes, section 256.969, subdivision 28.
new text end