1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to human services; changing the income 
  1.3             eligibility for medical assistance; establishing a 
  1.4             modified sliding scale for children in the 
  1.5             MinnesotaCare program; amending Minnesota Statutes 
  1.6             2000, section 256L.15, by adding a subdivision; 
  1.7             Minnesota Statutes 2001 Supplement, section 256B.056, 
  1.8             subdivision 4. 
  1.9   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.10     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2001 Supplement, section 
  1.11  256B.056, subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
  1.12     Subd. 4.  [INCOME.] (a) To be eligible for medical 
  1.13  assistance, a person eligible under section 256B.055, 
  1.14  subdivisions 7, 7a, and 12, may have income up to 100 percent of 
  1.15  the federal poverty guidelines.  Effective January 1, 2000, and 
  1.16  each successive January, recipients of supplemental security 
  1.17  income may have an income up to the supplemental security income 
  1.18  standard in effect on that date.  
  1.19     (b) To be eligible for medical assistance, families and 
  1.20  children may have an income up to 133-1/3 percent of the AFDC 
  1.21  income standard in effect under the July 16, 1996, AFDC state 
  1.22  plan.  Effective July 1, 2000, the base AFDC standard in effect 
  1.23  on July 16, 1996, shall be increased by three percent.  
  1.24     (c) Effective July 1, 2002, to be eligible for medical 
  1.25  assistance, families and children may have an income up to 100 
  1.26  120 percent of the federal poverty guidelines for the family 
  1.27  size.  
  2.1      (d) In computing income to determine eligibility of persons 
  2.2   under paragraphs (a) to (c) who are not residents of long-term 
  2.3   care facilities, the commissioner shall disregard increases in 
  2.4   income as required by Public Law Numbers 94-566, section 503; 
  2.5   99-272; and 99-509.  Veterans aid and attendance benefits and 
  2.6   Veterans Administration unusual medical expense payments are 
  2.7   considered income to the recipient. 
  2.8      Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 256L.15, is 
  2.9   amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  2.10     Subd. 4.  [MODIFIED PREMIUM CALCULATION FOR 
  2.11  CHILDREN.] Beginning January 1, 2003, the commissioner shall use 
  2.12  a modified sliding scale to calculate premiums for enrollees who 
  2.13  are children with household incomes greater than 170 percent of 
  2.14  the federal poverty guidelines, calculated using the medical 
  2.15  assistance income methodology for families and children.  The 
  2.16  modified sliding scale must reduce aggregate premiums for this 
  2.17  group of children by one-third from the premium rates in effect 
  2.18  on December 31, 2002, and must provide a gradual transition to 
  2.19  premium payments for children entering MinnesotaCare from the 
  2.20  medical assistance program.