2006 Minnesota Statutes

256B.64 ATTENDANTS TO VENTILATOR-DEPENDENT RECIPIENTS.
A ventilator-dependent recipient of medical assistance who has been receiving the services
of a private duty nurse or personal care assistant in the recipient's home may continue to have a
private duty nurse or personal care assistant present upon admission to a hospital licensed under
chapter 144. The personal care assistant or private duty nurse shall perform only the services of
communicator or interpreter for the ventilator-dependent patient during a transition period of up
to 120 hours to assure adequate training of the hospital staff to communicate with the patient and
to understand the unique comfort, safety, and personal care needs of the patient. The personal
care assistant or private duty nurse may offer nonbinding advice to the health care professionals
in charge of the ventilator-dependent patient's care and treatment on matters pertaining to the
comfort and safety of the patient. Within 36 hours of the end of the 120-hour transition period,
an assessment may be made by the ventilator-dependent recipient, the attending physician, and
the hospital staff caring for the recipient. If the persons making the assessment determine that
additional communicator or interpreter services are medically necessary, the hospital must contact
the commissioner 24 hours prior to the end of the 120-hour transition period and submit the
assessment information to the commissioner. The commissioner shall review the request and
determine if it is medically necessary to continue the interpreter services or if the hospital staff
has had sufficient opportunity to adequately determine the needs of the patient. The commissioner
shall determine if continued service is necessary and appropriate and whether or not payments
shall continue. The commissioner may not authorize services beyond the limits of the available
appropriations for this section. The commissioner may adopt rules necessary to implement this
section. Reimbursement under this section must be at the payment rate and in a manner consistent
with the payment rate and manner used in reimbursing these providers for home care services for
the ventilator-dependent recipient under the medical assistance program.
History: 1988 c 689 art 2 s 181; 1991 c 292 art 7 s 20