2011 Minnesota Statutes

256B.0631 MEDICAL ASSISTANCE CO-PAYMENTS.

Subdivision 1.Cost-sharing.

(a) Except as provided in subdivision 2, the medical assistance benefit plan shall include the following cost-sharing for all recipients, effective for services provided on or after September 1, 2011:

(1) $3 per nonpreventive visit, except as provided in paragraph (b). For purposes of this subdivision, a visit means an episode of service which is required because of a recipient's symptoms, diagnosis, or established illness, and which is delivered in an ambulatory setting by a physician or physician ancillary, chiropractor, podiatrist, nurse midwife, advanced practice nurse, audiologist, optician, or optometrist;

(2) $3 for eyeglasses;

(3) $3.50 for nonemergency visits to a hospital-based emergency room, except that this co-payment shall be increased to $20 upon federal approval;

(4) $3 per brand-name drug prescription and $1 per generic drug prescription, subject to a $12 per month maximum for prescription drug co-payments. No co-payments shall apply to antipsychotic drugs when used for the treatment of mental illness;

(5) effective January 1, 2012, a family deductible equal to the maximum amount allowed under Code of Federal Regulations, title 42, part 447.54; and

(6) for individuals identified by the commissioner with income at or below 100 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, total monthly cost-sharing must not exceed five percent of family income. For purposes of this paragraph, family income is the total earned and unearned income of the individual and the individual's spouse, if the spouse is enrolled in medical assistance and also subject to the five percent limit on cost-sharing.

(b) Recipients of medical assistance are responsible for all co-payments and deductibles in this subdivision.

Subd. 2.Exceptions.

Co-payments and deductibles shall be subject to the following exceptions:

(1) children under the age of 21;

(2) pregnant women for services that relate to the pregnancy or any other medical condition that may complicate the pregnancy;

(3) recipients expected to reside for at least 30 days in a hospital, nursing home, or intermediate care facility for the developmentally disabled;

(4) recipients receiving hospice care;

(5) 100 percent federally funded services provided by an Indian health service;

(6) emergency services;

(7) family planning services;

(8) services that are paid by Medicare, resulting in the medical assistance program paying for the coinsurance and deductible; and

(9) co-payments that exceed one per day per provider for nonpreventive visits, eyeglasses, and nonemergency visits to a hospital-based emergency room.

Subd. 3.Collection.

(a) The medical assistance reimbursement to the provider shall be reduced by the amount of the co-payment or deductible, except that reimbursements shall not be reduced:

(1) once a recipient has reached the $12 per month maximum for prescription drug co-payments; or

(2) for a recipient identified by the commissioner under 100 percent of the federal poverty guidelines who has met their monthly five percent cost-sharing limit.

(b) The provider collects the co-payment or deductible from the recipient. Providers may not deny services to recipients who are unable to pay the co-payment or deductible.

(c) Medical assistance reimbursement to fee-for-service providers and payments to managed care plans shall not be increased as a result of the removal of co-payments or deductibles effective on or after January 1, 2009.

Subd. 4.

MS 2006 [Repealed, 2007 c 147 art 5 s 41]

History:

1Sp2003 c 14 art 12 s 37; 2005 c 56 s 1; 1Sp2005 c 4 art 8 s 41,42; 2007 c 147 art 5 s 10,11,41; 2008 c 363 art 17 s 10,11; 1Sp2010 c 1 art 16 s 16,17; 1Sp2011 c 9 art 6 s 49-51