SF 3565

as introduced - 92nd Legislature (2021 - 2022) Posted on 03/01/2022 09:27am

A bill for an act
relating to human services; establishing a medical assistance capitation payment
withhold related to verification of coverage; amending Minnesota Statutes 2021
Supplement, section 256B.69, subdivision 5a.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2021 Supplement, section 256B.69, subdivision 5a, is
amended to read:

Subd. 5a.

Managed care contracts.

(a) Managed care contracts under this section and
section 256L.12 shall be entered into or renewed on a calendar year basis. The commissioner
may issue separate contracts with requirements specific to services to medical assistance
recipients age 65 and older.

(b) A prepaid health plan providing covered health services for eligible persons pursuant
to chapters 256B and 256L is responsible for complying with the terms of its contract with
the commissioner. Requirements applicable to managed care programs under chapters 256B
and 256L established after the effective date of a contract with the commissioner take effect
when the contract is next issued or renewed.

(c) The commissioner shall withhold five percent of managed care plan payments under
this section and county-based purchasing plan payments under section 256B.692 for the
prepaid medical assistance program pending completion of performance targets. Each
performance target must be quantifiable, objective, measurable, and reasonably attainable,
except in the case of a performance target based on a federal or state law or rule. Criteria
for assessment of each performance target must be outlined in writing prior to the contract
effective date. Clinical or utilization performance targets and their related criteria must
consider evidence-based research and reasonable interventions when available or applicable
to the populations served, and must be developed with input from external clinical experts
and stakeholders, including managed care plans, county-based purchasing plans, and
providers. The managed care or county-based purchasing plan must demonstrate, to the
commissioner's satisfaction, that the data submitted regarding attainment of the performance
target is accurate. The commissioner shall periodically change the administrative measures
used as performance targets in order to improve plan performance across a broader range
of administrative services. The performance targets must include measurement of plan
efforts to contain spending on health care services and administrative activities. The
commissioner may adopt plan-specific performance targets that take into account factors
affecting only one plan, including characteristics of the plan's enrollee population. The
withheld funds must be returned no sooner than July of the following year if performance
targets in the contract are achieved. The commissioner may exclude special demonstration
projects under subdivision 23.

(d) The commissioner shall require that managed care plans:

(1) use the assessment and authorization processes, forms, timelines, standards,
documentation, and data reporting requirements, protocols, billing processes, and policies
consistent with medical assistance fee-for-service or the Department of Human Services
contract requirements for all personal care assistance services under section 256B.0659 and
community first services and supports under section 256B.85; and

(2) by January 30 of each year that follows a rate increase for any aspect of services
under section 256B.0659 or 256B.85, inform the commissioner and the chairs and ranking
minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over rates determined
under section 256B.851 of the amount of the rate increase that is paid to each personal care
assistance provider agency with which the plan has a contract.

(e) deleted text begin Effective for services rendered on or after January 1, 2012, deleted text end The commissioner shall
include as part of the performance targets described in paragraph (c) a reduction in the health
plan's emergency department utilization rate for medical assistance and MinnesotaCare
enrollees, as determined by the commissioner. deleted text begin For 2012, the reduction shall be based on
the health plan's utilization in 2009. deleted text end To earn the return of the withhold each subsequent
year, the managed care plan or county-based purchasing plan must achieve a qualifying
reduction of no less than ten percent of the plan's emergency department utilization rate for
medical assistance and MinnesotaCare enrollees, excluding enrollees in programs described
in subdivisions 23 and 28, compared to the previous measurement year until the final
performance target is reached. When measuring performance, the commissioner must
consider the difference in health risk in a managed care or county-based purchasing plan's
membership in the baseline year compared to the measurement year, and work with the
managed care or county-based purchasing plan to account for differences that they agree
are significant.

The withheld funds must be returned no sooner than July 1 and no later than July 31 of
the following calendar year if the managed care plan or county-based purchasing plan
demonstrates to the satisfaction of the commissioner that a reduction in the utilization rate
was achieved. The commissioner shall structure the withhold so that the commissioner
returns a portion of the withheld funds in amounts commensurate with achieved reductions
in utilization less than the targeted amount.

The withhold described in this paragraph shall continue for each consecutive contract
period until the plan's emergency room utilization rate for state health care program enrollees
is reduced by 25 percent of the plan's emergency room utilization rate for medical assistance
and MinnesotaCare enrollees for calendar year 2009. Hospitals shall cooperate with the
health plans in meeting this performance target and shall accept payment withholds that
may be returned to the hospitals if the performance target is achieved.

(f) deleted text begin Effective for services rendered on or after January 1, 2012, deleted text end The commissioner shall
include as part of the performance targets described in paragraph (c) a reduction in the plan's
hospitalization admission rate for medical assistance and MinnesotaCare enrollees, as
determined by the commissioner. To earn the return of the withhold each year, the managed
care plan or county-based purchasing plan must achieve a qualifying reduction of no less
than five percent of the plan's hospital admission rate for medical assistance and
MinnesotaCare enrollees, excluding enrollees in programs described in subdivisions 23 and
28, compared to the previous calendar year until the final performance target is reached.
When measuring performance, the commissioner must consider the difference in health risk
in a managed care or county-based purchasing plan's membership in the baseline year
compared to the measurement year, and work with the managed care or county-based
purchasing plan to account for differences that they agree are significant.

The withheld funds must be returned no sooner than July 1 and no later than July 31 of
the following calendar year if the managed care plan or county-based purchasing plan
demonstrates to the satisfaction of the commissioner that this reduction in the hospitalization
rate was achieved. The commissioner shall structure the withhold so that the commissioner
returns a portion of the withheld funds in amounts commensurate with achieved reductions
in utilization less than the targeted amount.

The withhold described in this paragraph shall continue until there is a 25 percent
reduction in the hospital admission rate compared to the hospital admission rates in calendar
year 2011, as determined by the commissioner. The hospital admissions in this performance
target do not include the admissions applicable to the subsequent hospital admission
performance target under paragraph (g). Hospitals shall cooperate with the plans in meeting
this performance target and shall accept payment withholds that may be returned to the
hospitals if the performance target is achieved.

(g) deleted text begin Effective for services rendered on or after January 1, 2012, deleted text end The commissioner shall
include as part of the performance targets described in paragraph (c) a reduction in the plan's
hospitalization admission rates for subsequent hospitalizations within 30 days of a previous
hospitalization of a patient regardless of the reason, for medical assistance and MinnesotaCare
enrollees, as determined by the commissioner. To earn the return of the withhold each year,
the managed care plan or county-based purchasing plan must achieve a qualifying reduction
of the subsequent hospitalization rate for medical assistance and MinnesotaCare enrollees,
excluding enrollees in programs described in subdivisions 23 and 28, of no less than five
percent compared to the previous calendar year until the final performance target is reached.

The withheld funds must be returned no sooner than July 1 and no later than July 31 of
the following calendar year if the managed care plan or county-based purchasing plan
demonstrates to the satisfaction of the commissioner that a qualifying reduction in the
subsequent hospitalization rate was achieved. The commissioner shall structure the withhold
so that the commissioner returns a portion of the withheld funds in amounts commensurate
with achieved reductions in utilization less than the targeted amount.

The withhold described in this paragraph must continue for each consecutive contract
period until the plan's subsequent hospitalization rate for medical assistance and
MinnesotaCare enrollees, excluding enrollees in programs described in subdivisions 23 and
28, is reduced by 25 percent of the plan's subsequent hospitalization rate for calendar year
2011. Hospitals shall cooperate with the plans in meeting this performance target and shall
accept payment withholds that must be returned to the hospitals if the performance target
is achieved.

deleted text begin (h) Effective for services rendered on or after January 1, 2013, through December 31,
2013, the commissioner shall withhold 4.5 percent of managed care plan payments under
this section and county-based purchasing plan payments under section 256B.692 for the
prepaid medical assistance program. The withheld funds must be returned no sooner than
July 1 and no later than July 31 of the following year. The commissioner may exclude
special demonstration projects under subdivision 23.
deleted text end

deleted text begin (i) deleted text end deleted text begin Effective for services rendered on or after January 1, 2014, deleted text end new text begin (h) new text end The commissioner
shall withhold three percent of managed care plan payments under this section and
county-based purchasing plan payments under section 256B.692 for the prepaid medical
assistance program. The withheld funds must be returned no sooner than July 1 and no later
than July 31 of the following year. The commissioner may exclude special demonstration
projects under subdivision 23.

deleted text begin (j) deleted text end new text begin (i) new text end A managed care plan or a county-based purchasing plan under section 256B.692
may include as admitted assets under section 62D.044 any amount withheld under this
section that is reasonably expected to be returned.

deleted text begin (k) deleted text end new text begin (j) new text end Contracts between the commissioner and a prepaid health plan are exempt from
the set-aside and preference provisions of section 16C.16, subdivisions 6, paragraph (a),
and 7.

deleted text begin (l) deleted text end new text begin (k) new text end The return of the withhold under paragraphs (h) and (i) is not subject to the
requirements of paragraph (c).

deleted text begin (m) deleted text end new text begin (l) new text end Managed care plans and county-based purchasing plans shall maintain current
and fully executed agreements for all subcontractors, including bargaining groups, for
administrative services that are expensed to the state's public health care programs.
Subcontractor agreements determined to be material, as defined by the commissioner after
taking into account state contracting and relevant statutory requirements, must be in the
form of a written instrument or electronic document containing the elements of offer,
acceptance, consideration, payment terms, scope, duration of the contract, and how the
subcontractor services relate to state public health care programs. Upon request, the
commissioner shall have access to all subcontractor documentation under this paragraph.
Nothing in this paragraph shall allow release of information that is nonpublic data pursuant
to section 13.02.

new text begin (m) Effective for services provided on or after January 1, 2023, through December 31,
2023, the commissioner shall withhold two percent of the capitation payment provided to
managed care plans under this section and county-based purchasing plans under section
256B.692, for each medical assistance enrollee. The withheld funds must be returned no
sooner than July 1 and no later than July 31 of the following year for capitation payments
for enrollees for whom the plan submitted to the commissioner a verification of coverage
form completed and signed by the enrollee. The verification of coverage form must be
developed by the commissioner and made available to managed care and county-based
purchasing plans. The form must require the enrollee to provide the enrollee's name and
street address and the name of the managed care or county-based purchasing plan selected
by or assigned to the enrollee, and must include a signature block that allows the enrollee
to attest that the information provided is accurate. A plan must request that all enrollees
complete the verification of coverage form, and must submit all completed forms to the
commissioner by February 28, 2023. If a completed form for an enrollee is not received by
the commissioner by that date:
new text end

new text begin (1) the commissioner shall not return funds to the plan withheld for that enrollee;
new text end

new text begin (2) the commissioner shall cease making capitation payments to the plan for that enrollee,
effective for the April 2023 coverage month; and
new text end

new text begin (3) the commissioner shall disenroll the enrollee from medical assistance, subject to any
enrollee appeal.
new text end