1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to MinnesotaCare; excluding certain families 
  1.3             and individuals from the 18-month employer-subsidized 
  1.4             coverage barrier; amending Minnesota Statutes 2000, 
  1.5             section 256L.07, subdivision 2.  
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 256L.07, 
  1.8   subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subd. 2.  [MUST NOT HAVE ACCESS TO EMPLOYER-SUBSIDIZED 
  1.10  COVERAGE.] (a) To be eligible, a family or individual must not 
  1.11  have access to subsidized health coverage through an employer 
  1.12  and must not have had access to employer-subsidized coverage 
  1.13  through a current employer for 18 months prior to application or 
  1.14  reapplication.  A family or individual whose employer-subsidized 
  1.15  coverage is lost due to an employer terminating health care 
  1.16  coverage as an employee benefit during the previous 18 months is 
  1.17  not eligible.  
  1.18     (b) This subdivision does not apply to a family or 
  1.19  individual who was enrolled in MinnesotaCare within six months 
  1.20  or less of reapplication and who no longer has 
  1.21  employer-subsidized coverage due to the employer terminating 
  1.22  health care coverage as an employee benefit.  
  1.23     (c) For purposes of this requirement, subsidized health 
  1.24  coverage means health coverage for which the employer pays at 
  1.25  least 50 percent of the cost of coverage for the employee or 
  2.1   dependent, or a higher percentage as specified by the 
  2.2   commissioner.  Children are eligible for employer-subsidized 
  2.3   coverage through either parent, including the noncustodial 
  2.4   parent.  The commissioner must treat employer contributions to 
  2.5   Internal Revenue Code Section 125 plans and any other employer 
  2.6   benefits intended to pay health care costs as qualified employer 
  2.7   subsidies toward the cost of health coverage for employees for 
  2.8   purposes of this subdivision.