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Chapter 256B

Section 256B.0911

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256B.0911 Long-term care consultation services.

Subdivision 1. Purpose and goal. (a) The purpose of long-term care consultation services is to assist persons with long-term or chronic care needs in making long-term care decisions and selecting options that meet their needs and reflect their preferences. The availability of, and access to, information and other types of assistance is also intended to prevent or delay certified nursing facility placements and to provide transition assistance after admission. Further, the goal of these services is to contain costs associated with unnecessary certified nursing facility admissions. The commissioners of human services and health shall seek to maximize use of available federal and state funds and establish the broadest program possible within the funding available.

(b) These services must be coordinated with services provided under section 256.975, subdivision 7, and with services provided by other public and private agencies in the community to offer a variety of cost-effective alternatives to persons with disabilities and elderly persons. The county agency providing long-term care consultation services shall encourage the use of volunteers from families, religious organizations, social clubs, and similar civic and service organizations to provide community-based services.

Subd. 1a. Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:

(a) "Long-term care consultation services" means:

(1) providing information and education to the general public regarding availability of the services authorized under this section;

(2) an intake process that provides access to the services described in this section;

(3) assessment of the health, psychological, and social needs of referred individuals;

(4) assistance in identifying services needed to maintain an individual in the least restrictive environment;

(5) providing recommendations on cost-effective community services that are available to the individual;

(6) development of an individual's community support plan;

(7) providing information regarding eligibility for Minnesota health care programs;

(8) preadmission screening to determine the need for a nursing facility level of care;

(9) preliminary determination of Minnesota health care programs eligibility for individuals who need a nursing facility level of care, with appropriate referrals for final determination;

(10) providing recommendations for nursing facility placement when there are no cost-effective community services available; and

(11) assistance to transition people back to community settings after facility admission.

(b) "Minnesota health care programs" means the medical assistance program under chapter 256B, the alternative care program under section 256B.0913, and the prescription drug program under section 256.955.

Subd. 2. Repealed, 1Sp2001 c 9 art 4 s 34

Subd. 2a. Repealed, 1Sp2001 c 9 art 4 s 34

Subd. 3. Long-term care consultation team. (a) A long-term care consultation team shall be established by the county board of commissioners. Each local consultation team shall consist of at least one social worker and at least one public health nurse from their respective county agencies. The board may designate public health or social services as the lead agency for long-term care consultation services. If a county does not have a public health nurse available, it may request approval from the commissioner to assign a county registered nurse with at least one year experience in home care to participate on the team. Two or more counties may collaborate to establish a joint local consultation team or teams.

(b) The team is responsible for providing long-term care consultation services to all persons located in the county who request the services, regardless of eligibility for Minnesota health care programs.

Subd. 3a. Assessment and support planning. (a) Persons requesting assessment, services planning, or other assistance intended to support community-based living must be visited by a long-term care consultation team within ten working days after the date on which an assessment was requested or recommended. Assessments must be conducted according to paragraphs (b) to (g).

(b) The county may utilize a team of either the social worker or public health nurse, or both, to conduct the assessment in a face-to-face interview. The consultation team members must confer regarding the most appropriate care for each individual screened or assessed.

(c) The long-term care consultation team must assess the health and social needs of the person, using an assessment form provided by the commissioner.

(d) The team must conduct the assessment in a face-to-face interview with the person being assessed and the person's legal representative, if applicable.

(e) The team must provide the person, or the person's legal representative, with written recommendations for facility- or community-based services. The team must document that the most cost-effective alternatives available were offered to the individual. For purposes of this requirement, "cost-effective alternatives" means community services and living arrangements that cost the same as or less than nursing facility care.

(f) If the person chooses to use community-based services, the team must provide the person or the person's legal representative with a written community support plan, regardless of whether the individual is eligible for Minnesota health care programs. The person may request assistance in developing a community support plan without participating in a complete assessment.

(g) The team must give the person receiving assessment or support planning, or the person's legal representative, materials supplied by the commissioner containing the following information:

(1) the purpose of preadmission screening and assessment;

(2) information about Minnesota health care programs;

(3) the person's freedom to accept or reject the recommendations of the team;

(4) the person's right to confidentiality under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, chapter 13; and

(5) the person's right to appeal the decision regarding the need for nursing facility level of care or the county's final decisions regarding public programs eligibility according to section 256.045, subdivision 3.

Subd. 3b. Transition assistance. (a) A long-term care consultation team shall provide assistance to persons residing in a nursing facility, hospital, regional treatment center, or intermediate care facility for persons with mental retardation who request or are referred for assistance. Transition assistance must include assessment, community support plan development, referrals to Minnesota health care programs, and referrals to programs that provide assistance with housing.

(b) The county shall develop transition processes with institutional social workers and discharge planners to ensure that:

(1) persons admitted to facilities receive information about transition assistance that is available;

(2) the assessment is completed for persons within ten working days of the date of request or recommendation for assessment; and

(3) there is a plan for transition and follow-up for the individual's return to the community. The plan must require notification of other local agencies when a person who may require assistance is screened by one county for admission to a facility located in another county.

(c) If a person who is eligible for a Minnesota health care program is admitted to a nursing facility, the nursing facility must include a consultation team member or the case manager in the discharge planning process.

Subd. 4. Repealed, 1Sp2001 c 9 art 4 s 34

Subd. 4a. Preadmission screening activities related to nursing facility admissions. (a) All applicants to Medicaid certified nursing facilities, including certified boarding care facilities, must be screened prior to admission regardless of income, assets, or funding sources for nursing facility care, except as described in subdivision 4b. The purpose of the screening is to determine the need for nursing facility level of care as described in paragraph (d) and to complete activities required under federal law related to mental illness and mental retardation as outlined in paragraph (b).

(b) A person who has a diagnosis or possible diagnosis of mental illness, mental retardation, or a related condition must receive a preadmission screening before admission regardless of the exemptions outlined in subdivision 4b, paragraph (b), to identify the need for further evaluation and specialized services, unless the admission prior to screening is authorized by the local mental health authority or the local developmental disabilities case manager, or unless authorized by the county agency according to Public Law 101-508.

The following criteria apply to the preadmission screening:

(1) the county must use forms and criteria developed by the commissioner to identify persons who require referral for further evaluation and determination of the need for specialized services; and

(2) the evaluation and determination of the need for specialized services must be done by:

(i) a qualified independent mental health professional, for persons with a primary or secondary diagnosis of a serious mental illness; or

(ii) a qualified mental retardation professional, for persons with a primary or secondary diagnosis of mental retardation or related conditions. For purposes of this requirement, a qualified mental retardation professional must meet the standards for a qualified mental retardation professional under Code of Federal Regulations, title 42, section 483.430.

(c) The local county mental health authority or the state mental retardation authority under Public Law Numbers 100-203 and 101-508 may prohibit admission to a nursing facility if the individual does not meet the nursing facility level of care criteria or needs specialized services as defined in Public Law Numbers 100-203 and 101-508. For purposes of this section, "specialized services" for a person with mental retardation or a related condition means active treatment as that term is defined under Code of Federal Regulations, title 42, section 483.440 (a)(1).

(d) The determination of the need for nursing facility level of care must be made according to criteria developed by the commissioner. In assessing a person's needs, consultation team members shall have a physician available for consultation and shall consider the assessment of the individual's attending physician, if any. The individual's physician must be included if the physician chooses to participate. Other personnel may be included on the team as deemed appropriate by the county.

Subd. 4b. Exemptions and emergency admissions. (a) Exemptions from the federal screening requirements outlined in subdivision 4a, paragraphs (b) and (c), are limited to:

(1) a person who, having entered an acute care facility from a certified nursing facility, is returning to a certified nursing facility;

(2) a person transferring from one certified nursing facility in Minnesota to another certified nursing facility in Minnesota; and

(3) a person, 21 years of age or older, who satisfies the following criteria, as specified in Code of Federal Regulations, title 42, section 483.106(b)(2):

(i) the person is admitted to a nursing facility directly from a hospital after receiving acute inpatient care at the hospital;

(ii) the person requires nursing facility services for the same condition for which care was provided in the hospital; and

(iii) the attending physician has certified before the nursing facility admission that the person is likely to receive less than 30 days of nursing facility services.

(b) Persons who are exempt from preadmission screening for purposes of level of care determination include:

(1) persons described in paragraph (a);

(2) an individual who has a contractual right to have nursing facility care paid for indefinitely by the veterans' administration;

(3) an individual enrolled in a demonstration project under section 256B.69, subdivision 8, at the time of application to a nursing facility;

(4) an individual currently being served under the alternative care program or under a home and community-based services waiver authorized under section 1915(c) of the federal Social Security Act; and

(5) individuals admitted to a certified nursing facility for a short-term stay, which is expected to be 14 days or less in duration based upon a physician's certification, and who have been assessed and approved for nursing facility admission within the previous six months. This exemption applies only if the consultation team member determines at the time of the initial assessment of the six-month period that it is appropriate to use the nursing facility for short-term stays and that there is an adequate plan of care for return to the home or community-based setting. If a stay exceeds 14 days, the individual must be referred no later than the first county working day following the 14th resident day for a screening, which must be completed within five working days of the referral. The payment limitations in subdivision 7 apply to an individual found at screening to not meet the level of care criteria for admission to a certified nursing facility.

(c) Persons admitted to a Medicaid-certified nursing facility from the community on an emergency basis as described in paragraph (d) or from an acute care facility on a nonworking day must be screened the first working day after admission.

(d) Emergency admission to a nursing facility prior to screening is permitted when all of the following conditions are met:

(1) a person is admitted from the community to a certified nursing or certified boarding care facility during county nonworking hours;

(2) a physician has determined that delaying admission until preadmission screening is completed would adversely affect the person's health and safety;

(3) there is a recent precipitating event that precludes the client from living safely in the community, such as sustaining an injury, sudden onset of acute illness, or a caregiver's inability to continue to provide care;

(4) the attending physician has authorized the emergency placement and has documented the reason that the emergency placement is recommended; and

(5) the county is contacted on the first working day following the emergency admission.

Transfer of a patient from an acute care hospital to a nursing facility is not considered an emergency except for a person who has received hospital services in the following situations: hospital admission for observation, care in an emergency room without hospital admission, or following hospital 24-hour bed care.

(e) A nursing facility must provide a written notice to persons who satisfy the criteria in paragraph (a), clause (3), regarding the person's right to request and receive long-term care consultation services as defined in subdivision 1a. The notice must be provided prior to the person's discharge from the facility and in a format specified by the commissioner.

Subd. 4c. Screening requirements. (a) A person may be screened for nursing facility admission by telephone or in a face-to-face screening interview. Consultation team members shall identify each individual's needs using the following categories:

(1) the person needs no face-to-face screening interview to determine the need for nursing facility level of care based on information obtained from other health care professionals;

(2) the person needs an immediate face-to-face screening interview to determine the need for nursing facility level of care and complete activities required under subdivision 4a; or

(3) the person may be exempt from screening requirements as outlined in subdivision 4b, but will need transitional assistance after admission or in-person follow-along after a return home.

(b) Persons admitted on a nonemergency basis to a Medicaid-certified nursing facility must be screened prior to admission.

(c) The long-term care consultation team shall recommend a case mix classification for persons admitted to a certified nursing facility when sufficient information is received to make that classification. The nursing facility is authorized to conduct all case mix assessments for persons who have been screened prior to admission for whom the county did not recommend a case mix classification. The nursing facility is authorized to conduct all case mix assessments for persons admitted to the facility prior to a preadmission screening. The county retains the responsibility of distributing appropriate case mix forms to the nursing facility.

(d) The county screening or intake activity must include processes to identify persons who may require transition assistance as described in subdivision 3b.

Subd. 4d. Preadmission screening of individuals under 65 years of age. (a) It is the policy of the state of Minnesota to ensure that individuals with disabilities or chronic illness are served in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs and have the necessary information to make informed choices about home and community-based service options.

(b) Individuals under 65 years of age who are admitted to a nursing facility from a hospital must be screened prior to admission as outlined in subdivisions 4a through 4c.

(c) Individuals under 65 years of age who are admitted to nursing facilities with only a telephone screening must receive a face-to-face assessment from the long-term care consultation team member of the county in which the facility is located or from the recipient's county case manager within 40 calendar days of admission.

(d) Individuals under 65 years of age who are admitted to a nursing facility without preadmission screening according to the exemption described in subdivision 4b, paragraph (a), clause (3), and who remain in the facility longer than 30 days must receive a face-to-face assessment within 40 days of admission.

(e) At the face-to-face assessment, the long-term care consultation team member or county case manager must perform the activities required under subdivision 3b.

(f) For individuals under 21 years of age, a screening interview which recommends nursing facility admission must be face-to-face and approved by the commissioner before the individual is admitted to the nursing facility.

(g) In the event that an individual under 65 years of age is admitted to a nursing facility on an emergency basis, the county must be notified of the admission on the next working day, and a face-to-face assessment as described in paragraph (c) must be conducted within 40 calendar days of admission.

(h) At the face-to-face assessment, the long-term care consultation team member or the case manager must present information about home and community-based options so the individual can make informed choices. If the individual chooses home and community-based services, the long-term care consultation team member or case manager must complete a written relocation plan within 20 working days of the visit. The plan shall describe the services needed to move out of the facility and a time line for the move which is designed to ensure a smooth transition to the individual's home and community.

(i) An individual under 65 years of age residing in a nursing facility shall receive a face-to-face assessment at least every 12 months to review the person's service choices and available alternatives unless the individual indicates, in writing, that annual visits are not desired. In this case, the individual must receive a face-to-face assessment at least once every 36 months for the same purposes.

(j) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision 6, the commissioner may pay county agencies directly for face-to-face assessments for individuals under 65 years of age who are being considered for placement or residing in a nursing facility.

Subd. 5. Administrative activity. The commissioner shall minimize the number of forms required in the provision of long-term care consultation services and shall limit the screening document to items necessary for community support plan approval, reimbursement, program planning, evaluation, and policy development.

Subd. 6. Payment for long-term care consultation services. (a) The total payment for each county must be paid monthly by certified nursing facilities in the county. The monthly amount to be paid by each nursing facility for each fiscal year must be determined by dividing the county's annual allocation for long-term care consultation services by 12 to determine the monthly payment and allocating the monthly payment to each nursing facility based on the number of licensed beds in the nursing facility. Payments to counties in which there is no certified nursing facility must be made by increasing the payment rate of the two facilities located nearest to the county seat.

(b) The commissioner shall include the total annual payment determined under paragraph (a) for each nursing facility reimbursed under section 256B.431 or 256B.434 according to section 256B.431, subdivision 2b, paragraph (g), or 256B.435.

(c) In the event of the layaway, delicensure and decertification, or removal from layaway of 25 percent or more of the beds in a facility, the commissioner may adjust the per diem payment amount in paragraph (b) and may adjust the monthly payment amount in paragraph (a). The effective date of an adjustment made under this paragraph shall be on or after the first day of the month following the effective date of the layaway, delicensure and decertification, or removal from layaway.

(d) Payments for long-term care consultation services are available to the county or counties to cover staff salaries and expenses to provide the services described in subdivision 1a. The county shall employ, or contract with other agencies to employ, within the limits of available funding, sufficient personnel to provide long-term care consultation services while meeting the state's long-term care outcomes and objectives as defined in section 256B.0917, subdivision 1. The county shall be accountable for meeting local objectives as approved by the commissioner in the CSSA biennial plan.

(e) Notwithstanding section 256B.0641, overpayments attributable to payment of the screening costs under the medical assistance program may not be recovered from a facility.

(f) The commissioner of human services shall amend the Minnesota medical assistance plan to include reimbursement for the local consultation teams.

(g) The county may bill, as case management services, assessments, support planning, and follow-along provided to persons determined to be eligible for case management under Minnesota health care programs. No individual or family member shall be charged for an initial assessment or initial support plan development provided under subdivision 3a or 3b.

Subd. 7. Reimbursement for certified nursing facilities. (a) Medical assistance reimbursement for nursing facilities shall be authorized for a medical assistance recipient only if a preadmission screening has been conducted prior to admission or the county has authorized an exemption. Medical assistance reimbursement for nursing facilities shall not be provided for any recipient who the local screener has determined does not meet the level of care criteria for nursing facility placement or, if indicated, has not had a level II OBRA evaluation as required under the federal Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 completed unless an admission for a recipient with mental illness is approved by the local mental health authority or an admission for a recipient with mental retardation or related condition is approved by the state mental retardation authority.

(b) The nursing facility must not bill a person who is not a medical assistance recipient for resident days that preceded the date of completion of screening activities as required under subdivisions 4a, 4b, and 4c. The nursing facility must include unreimbursed resident days in the nursing facility resident day totals reported to the commissioner.

(c) The commissioner shall make a request to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for a waiver allowing team approval of Medicaid payments for certified nursing facility care. An individual has a choice and makes the final decision between nursing facility placement and community placement after the screening team's recommendation, except as provided in subdivision 4a, paragraph (c).

Subd. 8. Repealed, 2001 c 161 s 58

Subd. 9. Repealed, 1Sp2001 c 9 art 4 s 34

HIST: 1991 c 292 art 7 s 14; 1992 c 513 art 7 s 53-55; 1Sp1993 c 1 art 5 s 56-61,135; 1995 c 207 art 6 s 57-61; 1997 c 203 art 4 s 34; art 9 s 10; 1997 c 225 art 8 s 6; 1998 c 407 art 4 s 33-35; 1999 c 245 art 3 s 12; 1Sp2001 c 9 art 3 s 42; art 4 s 4-14; 2002 c 277 s 32; 2002 c 375 art 2 s 18,19; 2002 c 379 art 1 s 113; 1Sp2003 c 14 art 2 s 56; art 3 s 29; 2004 c 288 art 5 s 4

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Revisor of Statutes