SF 3122

1st Engrossment - 85th Legislature (2007 - 2008) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to health; changing provisions for health professional educational
loan forgiveness program; expanding access to dental care services; amending
Minnesota Statutes 2006, sections 144.1501, subdivision 2, by adding a
subdivision; 256B.037, by adding a subdivision; Minnesota Statutes 2007
Supplement, section 256B.0625, subdivision 49; repealing Minnesota Statutes
2006, section 256B.037, subdivisions 1a, 1c, 2, 5, 6; Laws 2003, First Special
Session chapter 5, section 11.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 144.1501, subdivision 2, is amended to
read:

Subd. 2.

Creation of account.

(a) A health professional education loan forgiveness
program account is established.

new text begin (b) new text end The commissioner of health shall use money from the account to establish a
loan forgiveness program:

(1) for medical residents agreeing to practice in designated rural areas or underserved
urban communities or specializing in the area of pediatric psychiatry;

(2) for midlevel practitioners agreeing to practice in designated rural areas or to
teach for at least 20 hours per week in the nursing field in a postsecondary program;

(3) for nurses who agree to practice in a Minnesota nursing home or intermediate
care facility for persons with developmental disability or to teach for at least 20 hours per
week in the nursing field in a postsecondary program;

(4) for other health care technicians agreeing to teach for at least 20 hours per week
in their designated field in a postsecondary program. The commissioner, in consultation
with the Healthcare Education-Industry Partnership, shall determine the health care fields
where the need is the greatest, including, but not limited to, respiratory therapy, clinical
laboratory technology, radiologic technology, and surgical technology; new text begin and
new text end

(5) for pharmacists who agree to practice in designated rural areas deleted text begin ; and deleted text end new text begin .
new text end

new text begin (c) The commissioner shall use money from the account allocated for dental loan
forgiveness:
new text end

deleted text begin (6) deleted text end new text begin (1) new text end for dentists deleted text begin agreeing deleted text end new text begin who: (i) agree new text end to deliver at least deleted text begin 25 deleted text end new text begin 20 new text end percent of the
dentist's yearly patient encounters to state public program enrollees or patients receiving
sliding fee schedule discounts through a formal sliding fee schedule meeting the standards
established by the United States Department of Health and Human Services under Code of
Federal Regulations, title 42, section 51, chapter 303 new text begin , or (ii) have been trained in a foreign
country, received a dental license from the Board of Dentistry, and who agree to provide
services for a nonprofit organization, community clinic, or federally qualified health clinic
in Minnesota for a period of at least three years; and
new text end

new text begin (2) for the dental school scholarship program under subdivision 7 new text end .

deleted text begin (b) deleted text end new text begin (d) new text end Appropriations made to the account do not cancel and are available until
expended, except that at the end of each biennium, any remaining balance in the account
that is not committed by contract and not needed to fulfill existing commitments shall
cancel to the fund.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 144.1501, is amended by adding a subdivision
to read:

new text begin Subd. 7. new text end

new text begin Dental school student scholarship program. new text end

new text begin The commissioner may
award up to three scholarships each year to:
new text end

new text begin (1) foreign-trained dental students who enroll in the Program for Advanced Standing
Students at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry and who agree upon
graduation from the program and upon licensure by the Board of Dentistry to provide
dental services in Minnesota for a nonprofit organization, community clinic, or federally
qualified community health center for a period of at least three years; or
new text end

new text begin (2) current dental school students who agree after graduation to provide dental
services in Minnesota for a nonprofit organization, community clinic, or federally qualified
community health center for a period of at least three years.
new text end

new text begin Scholarships awarded under the program must be at least $30,000 each year that the
graduates provide care under the scholarship agreement.
new text end

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 256B.037, is amended by adding a
subdivision to read:

new text begin Subd. 5d. new text end

new text begin Advisory committee. new text end

new text begin Prior to awarding a contract to a dental plan
administrator, the commissioner of human services shall convene an advisory committee
to review the development of dental plan administration and requests for proposals. The
advisory committee shall consist of dental providers, nonprofit clinics, patients' advocates,
and other interested parties as determined by the commissioner. Advisory committee
members shall serve on a voluntary basis and shall not be paid per diem.
new text end

Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2007 Supplement, section 256B.0625, subdivision 49,
is amended to read:

Subd. 49.

Community health worker.

(a) Medical assistance covers the care
coordination and patient education services provided by a community health worker if
the community health worker has:

(1) received a certificate from the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System
approved community health worker curriculum; deleted text begin or
deleted text end

(2) at least five years of supervised experience with an enrolled physician deleted text begin , registered
nurse, deleted text end or advanced practice registered nurse new text begin ; or
new text end

new text begin (3) at least five years of supervised experience by a certified public health nurse
operating under the direct authority of an enrolled unit of government new text end .

Community health workers eligible for payment under clause (2) new text begin or (3) new text end must complete the
certification program by January 1, 2010, to continue to be eligible for payment.

(b) Community health workers must work under the supervision of a medical
assistance enrolled physician, deleted text begin registered nurse, or deleted text end advanced practice registered nurse new text begin ,
dentist, or a certified public health nurse operating under the direct authority of an enrolled
unit of government new text end .

new text begin (c) Care coordination and patient education services covered under this subdivision
include, but are not limited to, services relating to oral health and dental care.
new text end

Sec. 5. new text begin REVISOR'S INSTRUCTION.
new text end

new text begin The revisor of statutes shall change the references in clauses (1) to (4) as follows:
new text end

new text begin (1) In Minnesota Statutes, section 144.608, subdivision 1, change "144.1501,
subdivision 1, paragraph (b)," to "144.1501, subdivision 1, paragraph (c);"
new text end

new text begin (2) In Minnesota Statutes, section 144.608, subdivision 1, change "144.1501,
subdivision 1, paragraph (h)," to "144.1501, subdivision 1, paragraph (i);" and
new text end

new text begin (3) In Minnesota Statutes, section 144.608, subdivision 1, change "144.1501,
subdivision 1, paragraph (j)," to "144.1501, subdivision 1, paragraph (l)."
new text end

Sec. 6. new text begin REPEALER.
new text end

new text begin Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 256B.037, subdivisions 1a, 1c, 2, 5, and 6, new text end new text begin and
new text end new text begin Laws 2003, First Special Session chapter 5, section 11, new text end new text begin are repealed.
new text end