1998 Minnesota Statutes

     256L.15 Premiums. 

    Subdivision 1.    Premium determination.  Families with 
 children and individuals shall pay a premium determined 
 according to a sliding fee based on the cost of coverage as a 
 percentage of the family's gross family income.  Pregnant women 
 and children under age two are exempt from the provisions of 
 section 256L.06, subdivision 3, paragraph (b), clause (3), 
 requiring disenrollment for failure to pay premiums.  For 
 pregnant women, this exemption continues until the first day of 
 the month following the 60th day postpartum.  Women who remain 
 enrolled during pregnancy or the postpartum period, despite 
 nonpayment of premiums, shall be disenrolled on the first of the 
 month following the 60th day postpartum for the penalty period 
 that otherwise applies under section 256L.06, unless they begin 
 paying premiums. 

    Subd. 1a.    Payment options.  The commissioner may 
 offer the following payment options to an enrollee: 

    (1) payment by check; 

    (2) payment by credit card; 

    (3) payment by recurring automatic checking withdrawal; 

    (4) payment by one-time electronic transfer of funds; 

    (5) payment by wage withholding with the consent of the 
 employer and the employee; or 

    (6) payment by using state tax refund payments. 

    At application or reapplication, a MinnesotaCare applicant 
 or enrollee may authorize the commissioner to use the Revenue 
 Recapture Act in chapter 270A to collect funds from the 
 applicant's or enrollee's state income tax refund for the 
 purposes of meeting all or part of the applicant's or enrollee's 
 MinnesotaCare premium obligation for the forthcoming year.  The 
 applicant or enrollee may authorize the commissioner to apply 
 for the state working family tax credit on behalf of the 
 applicant or enrollee.  The setoff due under this subdivision 
 shall not be subject to the $10 fee under section 270A.07, 
 subdivision 1.  

    Subd. 1b.    Payments nonrefundable.  MinnesotaCare 
 premiums are not refundable. 

    Subd. 2.    Sliding scale to determine percentage of gross 
 individual or family income.  The commissioner shall establish 
 a sliding fee scale to determine the percentage of gross 
 individual or family income that households at different income 
 levels must pay to obtain coverage through the MinnesotaCare 
 program.  The sliding fee scale must be based on the enrollee's 
 gross individual or family income during the previous four 
 months.  The sliding fee scale begins with a premium of 1.5 
 percent of gross individual or family income for individuals or 
 families with incomes below the limits for the medical 
 assistance program for families and children and proceeds 
 through the following evenly spaced steps:  1.8, 2.3, 3.1, 3.8, 
 4.8, 5.9, 7.4, and 8.8 percent.  These percentages are matched 
 to evenly spaced income steps ranging from the medical 
 assistance income limit for families and children to 275 percent 
 of the federal poverty guidelines for the applicable family 
 size.  The sliding fee scale and percentages are not subject to 
 the provisions of chapter 14.  If a family or individual reports 
 increased income after enrollment, premiums shall not be 
 adjusted until eligibility renewal.  

    Subd. 3.    Exceptions to sliding scale.  An annual 
 premium of $48 is required for all children in families with 
 income at or less than 150 percent of federal poverty guidelines.

    HIST: 1995 c 234 art 6 s 20; 1998 c 407 art 5 s 39