1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to health; providing colorectal cancer screening for the uninsured; 
1.3 	appropriating money.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. MINNESOTA COLORECTAL CANCER PREVENTION ACT.
 1.6 		Subdivision 1.Purpose. Colon cancer is one of Minnesota's leading causes of 
1.7 	death and one of the most preventable forms of cancer. The Minnesota Colorectal 
1.8 	Cancer Prevention Act creates a demonstration project and public-private partnership 
1.9 	that leverages business, nonprofit, and government sectors to reduce the incidence of 
1.10 	colon cancer, reduce future health care expenditures, and address health disparities by 
1.11 	emphasizing prevention in a manner consistent with Minnesota's health care reform goals.
1.12 		Subd. 2.Establishment. The Office of Management and Budget shall provide 
1.13 	grants to Hennepin County Medical Center and MeritCare Bemidji for a colorectal 
1.14 	screening demonstration project to provide screening to uninsured and underinsured 
1.15 	women and men.
1.16 		Subd. 3.Eligibility. To be eligible for colorectal screening under this demonstration 
1.17 	project, an applicant must:
1.18 	(1) be at least 50 years of age, or under the age of 50 and at high risk for colon cancer;
1.19 	(2) be uninsured, have insurance that does not cover the full cost of colorectal cancer 
1.20 	screenings; and
1.21 	(3) have a gross family income at or below 250 percent of the federal poverty level.
1.22 		Subd. 4.Services. Services provided under this program shall include:
2.1 	(1) colorectal cancer screening, according to standard practices of medicine, or 
2.2 	guidelines provided by the Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement or the American 
2.3 	Cancer Society;
2.4 	(2) follow-up services for abnormal tests; and
2.5 	(3) diagnostic services.
2.6 		Subd. 5.Treatment. If an enrollee who is screened under this program is diagnosed 
2.7 	with colorectal cancer, the enrollee's treatment shall be covered by medical assistance if 
2.8 	the enrollee is uninsured or has insurance that does not cover treatment of colorectal 
2.9 	cancer. Medical assistance coverage ends when a course of treatment is completed, but 
2.10 	enrollees are not limited to one period of coverage. A new coverage period begins each 
2.11 	time an enrollee is screened and determined to need treatment for colorectal cancer.
2.12 		Subd. 6.Project evaluation. The University of Minnesota School of Public Health 
2.13 	shall evaluate the demonstration project and make recommendations for increasing the 
2.14 	number of persons in Minnesota who receive recommended colon cancer screening. The 
2.15 	University of Minnesota School of Public Health shall make a report to the legislature 
2.16 	by January 1, 2011.

2.17 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATIONS.
 2.18 	(a) $....... is appropriated in fiscal year 2010 from the general fund to the Office of 
2.19 	Management and Budget to provide grants to the Hennepin County Medical Center and 
2.20 	MeritCare Bemidji for colorectal screening demonstration projects established in section 
2.21 	1. Each grant shall be in the amount of $.......
2.22 	(b) $....... is appropriated in fiscal year 2010 from the general fund to the Board 
2.23 	of Regents for the University of Minnesota to conduct an evaluation of the colorectal 
2.24 	screening demonstration project established in section 1.