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256.9791 Medical support bonus incentives.

Subdivision 1. Bonus incentive. (a) A bonus incentive program is created to increase the identification and enforcement by county agencies of dependent health insurance coverage for persons who are receiving medical assistance under section 256B.055 and for whom the county agency is providing child support enforcement services.

(b) The bonus shall be awarded to a county child support agency for each person for whom coverage is identified and enforced by the child support enforcement program when the obligor is under a court order to provide dependent health insurance coverage.

(c) Bonus incentive funds under this section must be reinvested in the county child support enforcement program and a county may not reduce funding of the child support enforcement program by the amount of the bonus earned.

Subd. 2. Definitions. For the purpose of this section, the following definitions apply.

(a) "Case" means a family unit that is receiving medical assistance under section 256B.055 and for whom the county agency is providing child support enforcement services.

(b) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of the department of human services.

(c) "County agency" means the county child support enforcement agency.

(d) "Coverage" means initial dependent health insurance benefits for a case or individual member of a case.

(e) "Enforce" or "enforcement" means obtaining proof of current or future dependent health insurance coverage through an overt act by the county agency.

(f) "Enforceable order" means a child support court order containing the statutory language in section 518.171 or other language ordering an obligor to provide dependent health insurance coverage.

(g) "Identify" or "identification" means obtaining proof of dependent health insurance coverage through an overt act by the county agency.

Subd. 3. Eligibility; reporting requirements. (a) In order for a county to be eligible to claim a bonus incentive payment, the county agency must provide the required information for each public assistance case no later than June 30 of each year to determine eligibility. The public authority shall use the information to establish for each county the number of cases in which (1) the court has established an obligation for coverage by the obligor, and (2) coverage was in effect as of June 30.

(b) A county that fails to provide the required information by June 30 of each fiscal year is not eligible for any bonus payments under this section for that fiscal year.

Subd. 4. Rate of bonus incentive. The rate of the bonus incentive shall be determined according to paragraph (a).

(a) When a county agency has identified or enforced coverage, the county shall receive $50 for each additional person for whom coverage is identified or enforced.

(b) Bonus payments according to paragraph (a) are limited to one bonus for each covered person each time the county agency identifies or enforces previously unidentified health insurance coverage and apply only to coverage identified or enforced after July 1, 1990.

Subd. 5. Claims for bonus incentive. (a) Beginning July 1, 1990, county agencies shall file a claim for a medical support bonus payment by reporting to the commissioner the following information for each case where dependent health insurance is identified or enforced as a result of an overt act of the county agency:

(1) child support enforcement system case number or county specific case number;

(2) names and dates of birth for each person covered; and

(3) the effective date of coverage.

(b) The report must be made upon enrollment in coverage but no later than September 30 for coverage identified or established during the preceding fiscal year.

(c) The county agency making the initial contact resulting in the establishment of coverage is the county agency entitled to claim the bonus incentive even if the case is transferred to another county agency prior to the time coverage is established.

(d) Disputed claims must be submitted to the commissioner and the commissioner's decision is final.

Subd. 6. Distribution. (a) Bonus incentives must be issued to the county agency quarterly, within 45 days after the last day of each quarter for which a bonus incentive is being claimed, and must be paid up to the limit of the appropriation in the order in which claims are received.

(b) Total bonus incentives must be computed by multiplying the number of persons included in claims submitted in accordance with this section by the applicable bonus payment as determined in subdivision 4.

(c) The county agency must repay any bonus erroneously issued.

(d) A county agency must maintain a record of bonus incentives claimed and received for each quarter.

HIST: 1990 c 568 art 2 s 62; 1993 c 340 s 12,13; 1997 c 245 art 1 s 9

Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes