Minnesota Session Laws - 1996, Regular Session

  
    
KEY: stricken = old language to be removed
     underscored = new language to be added
    
                            CHAPTER 316-S.F.No. 1879 
                  An act relating to medical assistance; combining the 
                  alternative care program and the home- and 
                  community-based services waiver for the elderly 
                  program. 
        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
           Section 1.  [ELDERLY PROGRAMS COMBINED.] 
           (a) The commissioner of human services shall develop a plan 
        for presentation to the 1997 legislature to combine the 
        alternative care program under Minnesota Statutes, section 
        256B.0913, and the home- and community-based services waiver for 
        the elderly program under Minnesota Statutes, section 256B.0915, 
        into one program.  
           (b) The plan shall provide one set of eligibility criteria, 
        one list of covered services, one monthly spending cap, and one 
        method of calculating client payment obligations to replace 
        current requirements of both programs. 
           (c) The commissioner shall quantify the state 
        administrative savings that will result from this section and 
        must include in the plan a proposal for using the administrative 
        savings to begin eliminating inequities in payment rates in the 
        two programs.  The plan must include recommendations for 
        implementing one standard set of payment rates by June 30, 1998. 
           (d) The plan must be reported to the legislature by 
        December 15, 1996. 
           Sec. 2.  [FEDERAL LAW CHANGES.] 
           If federal law changes do not occur in order to permit the 
        implementation of section 1, the commissioner shall report by 
        December 15, 1996, on the feasibility of combining the two 
        programs under existing federal law. 
           Presented to the governor March 14, 1996 
           Signed by the governor March 15, 1996, 11:22 a.m.