SF 3395

1st Engrossment - 84th Legislature (2005 - 2006) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to state government; establishing the Center for Health Care Purchasing
Improvement; appropriating money; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota
Statutes, chapter 43A.

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

Section 1.

new text begin [43A.312] CENTER FOR HEALTH CARE PURCHASING
IMPROVEMENT.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Establishment; administration. new text end

new text begin The commissioner shall establish
and administer the Center for Health Care Purchasing Improvement as an administrative
unit within the Department of Employee Relations. The Center for Health Care Purchasing
Improvement shall support the state in its efforts to be a more prudent and efficient
purchaser of quality health care services. The center shall aid the state in developing and
using more common strategies and approaches for health care performance measurement
and health care purchasing. The common strategies and approaches shall promote greater
transparency of health care costs and quality, and greater accountability for health
care results and improvement. The center shall also identify barriers to more efficient,
effective, quality health care and options for overcoming the barriers.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Staffing; duties; scope. new text end

new text begin (a) The commissioner may appoint a director, and
up to three additional senior-level staff or codirectors, and other staff as needed who shall
be under the direction of the commissioner. The staff of the center shall be unclassified.
new text end

new text begin (b) With the authorization of the commissioner of the Department of Employee
Relations, and in consultation or interagency agreement with the appropriate
commissioners of state agencies, the director, or codirectors, may:
new text end

new text begin (1) initiate projects for development of plan designs for state health care purchasing;
new text end

new text begin (2) require reports or surveys to evaluate the performance of current health care
purchasing strategies;
new text end

new text begin (3) calculate fiscal impacts, including net savings and return on investment, of health
care purchasing strategies and initiatives;
new text end

new text begin (4) conduct policy audits of state programs to measure conformity to state statute or
other purchasing initiatives or objectives;
new text end

new text begin (5) support the Administrative Uniformity Committee under section 62J.50 and
other relevant groups or activities to advance agreement on health care administrative
process streamlining;
new text end

new text begin (6) consult with the Health Economics Unit of the Department of Health regarding
reports and assessments of the health care marketplace;
new text end

new text begin (7) consult with the departments of Health and Commerce regarding health care
regulatory issues and legislative initiatives;
new text end

new text begin (8) work with appropriate Department of Human Services staff and the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services to address federal requirements and conformity issues
for health care purchasing;
new text end

new text begin (9) assist the Minnesota Comprehensive Health Association in health care
purchasing strategies;
new text end

new text begin (10) convene medical directors of agencies engaged in health care purchasing for
advice, collaboration, and exploring possible synergies;
new text end

new text begin (11) contact and participate with other relevant health care task forces, study
activities, and similar efforts with regard to health care performance measurement and
performance-based purchasing; and
new text end

new text begin (12) assist in seeking external funding through appropriate grants or other funding
opportunities and may administer grants and externally funded projects.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Report. new text end

new text begin The commissioner must report annually to the legislature and the
governor on the operations, activities, and impacts of the center. The report must be
posted on the Department of Employee Relations Web site and must be available to the
public. The report shall include a description of the state's efforts to develop and use more
common strategies for health care performance measurement and health care purchasing.
The report shall also include an assessment of the impacts of these efforts, especially in
promoting greater transparency of health care costs and quality, and greater accountability
for health care results and improvement.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin $100,000 is appropriated in fiscal year 2007 from the general fund to the
commissioner of employee relations for the purposes in section 1.
new text end