1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to health; expanding eligibility for the 
  1.3             senior citizen drug program; removing funding cap; 
  1.4             amending Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 256.955, 
  1.5             subdivision 2; and Laws 1997, chapter 225, article 4, 
  1.6             section 4; repealing Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 
  1.7             256.955, subdivision 9. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 256.955, 
  1.10  subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  1.11     Subd. 2.  [DEFINITIONS.] (a) For purposes of this section, 
  1.12  the following definitions apply. 
  1.13     (b) "Health plan" has the meaning provided in section 
  1.14  62Q.01, subdivision 3. 
  1.15     (c) "Health plan company" has the meaning provided in 
  1.16  section 62Q.01, subdivision 4. 
  1.17     (d) "Qualified senior citizen" means an individual age 65 
  1.18  or older who: 
  1.19     (1) is ~~eligible as~~ a ~~qualified~~ Medicare enrollee. 
  1.20  ~~beneficiary according to section 256B.057, subdivision 3 or 3a,~~ 
  1.21  ~~or is eligible under section 256B.057, subdivision 3 or 3a, and~~ 
  1.22  ~~is also eligible for medical assistance or general assistance~~ 
  1.23  ~~medical care with a spenddown as defined in section 256B.056,~~ 
  1.24  ~~subdivision 5.~~  Persons who are determined eligible for medical 
  1.25  assistance according to section 256B.0575, who are eligible for 
  1.26  medical assistance or general assistance medical care without a 
  2.1   spenddown, or who are enrolled in MinnesotaCare, are not 
  2.2   eligible for this program; 
  2.3      (2) is not enrolled in prescription drug coverage under a 
  2.4   health plan; 
  2.5      (3) is not enrolled in prescription drug coverage under a 
  2.6   Medicare supplement plan, as defined in sections 62A.31 to 
  2.7   62A.44, or policies, contracts, or certificates that supplement 
  2.8   Medicare issued by health maintenance organizations or those 
  2.9   policies, contracts, or certificates governed by section 1833 or 
  2.10  1876 of the federal Social Security Act, United States Code, 
  2.11  title 42, section 1395, et seq., as amended; 
  2.12     (4) has not had coverage described in clauses (2) and (3) 
  2.13  for at least four months prior to application for the 
  2.14  program; ~~and~~ 
  2.15     (5) is a permanent resident of Minnesota as defined in 
  2.16  section 256L.09; and 
  2.17     (6) has a household income that does not exceed 150 percent 
  2.18  of the federal poverty guidelines for family size, using the 
  2.19  income methodologies specified for aged, blind, or disabled 
  2.20  persons in section 256B.056, subdivision 1a. 
  2.21     Sec. 2.  Laws 1997, chapter 225, article 4, section 4, is 
  2.22  amended to read: 
  2.23     Sec. 4.  [SENIOR DRUG PROGRAM.] 
  2.24     ~~The commissioner shall administer the senior drug program~~ 
  2.25  ~~so that the costs to the state total no more than $4,000,000~~ 
  2.26  ~~plus the amount of the rebate.  The commissioner is authorized~~ 
  2.27  ~~to discontinue enrollment in order to meet this level of funding.~~
  2.28     The commissioner shall report to the legislature the 
  2.29  estimated costs of the senior drug program ~~without funding~~ 
  2.30  ~~caps~~.  The report shall be included as part of the November and 
  2.31  February forecasts. 
  2.32     The commissioner of finance shall annually reimburse the 
  2.33  general fund with health care access funds for the estimated 
  2.34  increased costs in the QMB/SLMB program directly associated with 
  2.35  the senior drug program.  This reimbursement shall sunset June 
  2.36  30, 2001. 
  3.1      Sec. 3.  [REPEALER.] 
  3.2      Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 256.955, subdivision 9, is 
  3.3   repealed.