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Chapter 256B

Section 256B.0915

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256B.0915 Medicaid waiver for home and community-based services for the elderly.

Subdivision 1. Authority. The commissioner is authorized to apply for a home and community-based services waiver for the elderly, authorized under section 1915(c) of the Social Security Act, in order to obtain federal financial participation to expand the availability of services for persons who are eligible for medical assistance. The commissioner may apply for additional waivers or pursue other federal financial participation which is advantageous to the state for funding home care services for the frail elderly who are eligible for medical assistance. The provision of waivered services to elderly and disabled medical assistance recipients must comply with the criteria approved in the waiver.

Subd. 1a. Elderly waiver case management services. Elderly case management services under the home and community-based services waiver for elderly individuals are available from providers meeting qualification requirements and the standards specified in subdivision 1b. Eligible recipients may choose any qualified provider of elderly case management services.

Subd. 1b. Provider qualifications and standards. The commissioner must enroll qualified providers of elderly case management services under the home and community-based waiver for the elderly under section 1915(c) of the Social Security Act. The enrollment process shall ensure the provider's ability to meet the qualification requirements and standards in this subdivision and other federal and state requirements of this service. An elderly case management provider is an enrolled medical assistance provider who is determined by the commissioner to have all of the following characteristics:

(1) the demonstrated capacity and experience to provide the components of case management to coordinate and link community resources needed by the eligible population;

(2) administrative capacity and experience in serving the target population for whom it will provide services and in ensuring quality of services under state and federal requirements;

(3) a financial management system that provides accurate documentation of services and costs under state and federal requirements;

(4) the capacity to document and maintain individual case records under state and federal requirements; and

(5) the county may allow a case manager employed by the county to delegate certain aspects of the case management activity to another individual employed by the county provided there is oversight of the individual by the case manager. The case manager may not delegate those aspects which require professional judgment including assessments, reassessments, and care plan development.

Subd. 1c. Case management activities under the state plan. The commissioner shall seek an amendment to the home and community-based services waiver for the elderly to implement the provisions of subdivisions 1a and 1b. If the commissioner is unable to secure the approval of the secretary of health and human services for the requested waiver amendment by December 31, 1993, the commissioner shall amend the medical assistance state plan to provide that case management provided under the home and community-based services waiver for the elderly is performed by counties as an administrative function for the proper and effective administration of the state medical assistance plan. The state shall reimburse counties for the nonfederal share of costs for case management performed as an administrative function under the home and community-based services waiver for the elderly.

Subd. 1d. Posteligibility treatment of income and resources for elderly waiver. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 256B.056, the commissioner shall make the following amendment to the medical assistance elderly waiver program effective July 1, 1999, or upon federal approval, whichever is later.

A recipient's maintenance needs will be an amount equal to the Minnesota supplemental aid equivalent rate as defined in section 256I.03, subdivision 5, plus the medical assistance personal needs allowance as defined in section 256B.35, subdivision 1, paragraph (a), when applying posteligibility treatment of income rules to the gross income of elderly waiver recipients, except for individuals whose income is in excess of the special income standard according to Code of Federal Regulations, title 42, section 435.236. Recipient maintenance needs shall be adjusted under this provision each July 1.

Subd. 2. Spousal impoverishment policies. The commissioner shall seek to amend the federal waiver and the medical assistance state plan to allow spousal impoverishment criteria as authorized under United States Code, title 42, section 1396r-5, and as implemented in sections 256B.0575, 256B.058, and 256B.059, except that the amendment shall seek to add to the personal needs allowance permitted in section 256B.0575, an amount equivalent to the group residential housing rate as set by section 256I.03, subdivision 5.

Subd. 3. Limits of cases. The number of medical assistance waiver recipients that a county may serve must be allocated according to the number of medical assistance waiver cases open on July 1 of each fiscal year. Additional recipients may be served with the approval of the commissioner.

Subd. 3a. Repealed, 1Sp2001 c 9 art 3 s 76; art 4 s 34

Subd. 3a. Elderly waiver cost limits. (a) The monthly limit for the cost of waivered services to an individual elderly waiver client shall be the weighted average monthly nursing facility rate of the case mix resident class to which the elderly waiver client would be assigned under Minnesota Rules, parts 9549.0050 to 9549.0059, less the recipient's maintenance needs allowance as described in subdivision 1d, paragraph (a), until the first day of the state fiscal year in which the resident assessment system as described in section 256B.437 for nursing home rate determination is implemented. Effective on the first day of the state fiscal year in which the resident assessment system as described in section 256B.437 for nursing home rate determination is implemented and the first day of each subsequent state fiscal year, the monthly limit for the cost of waivered services to an individual elderly waiver client shall be the rate of the case mix resident class to which the waiver client would be assigned under Minnesota Rules, parts 9549.0050 to 9549.0059, in effect on the last day of the previous state fiscal year, adjusted by the greater of any legislatively adopted home and community-based services cost-of-living percentage increase or any legislatively adopted statewide percent rate increase for nursing facilities.

(b) If extended medical supplies and equipment or environmental modifications are or will be purchased for an elderly waiver client, the costs may be prorated for up to 12 consecutive months beginning with the month of purchase. If the monthly cost of a recipient's waivered services exceeds the monthly limit established in paragraph (a), the annual cost of all waivered services shall be determined. In this event, the annual cost of all waivered services shall not exceed 12 times the monthly limit of waivered services as described in paragraph (a).

Subd. 3b. Repealed, 1Sp2001 c 9 art 3 s 76; art 4 s 34

Subd. 3b. Cost limits for elderly waiver applicants who reside in a nursing facility. (a) For a person who is a nursing facility resident at the time of requesting a determination of eligibility for elderly waivered services, a monthly conversion limit for the cost of elderly waivered services may be requested. The monthly conversion limit for the cost of elderly waiver services shall be the resident class assigned under Minnesota Rules, parts 9549.0050 to 9549.0059, for that resident in the nursing facility where the resident currently resides until July 1 of the state fiscal year in which the resident assessment system as described in section 256B.437 for nursing home rate determination is implemented. Effective on July 1 of the state fiscal year in which the resident assessment system as described in section 256B.437 for nursing home rate determination is implemented, the monthly conversion limit for the cost of elderly waiver services shall be the per diem nursing facility rate as determined by the resident assessment system as described in section 256B.437 for that resident in the nursing facility where the resident currently resides multiplied by 365 and divided by 12, less the recipient's maintenance needs allowance as described in subdivision 1d. The initially approved conversion rate may be adjusted by the greater of any subsequent legislatively adopted home and community-based services cost-of-living percentage increase or any subsequent legislatively adopted statewide percentage rate increase for nursing facilities. The limit under this subdivision only applies to persons discharged from a nursing facility after a minimum 30-day stay and found eligible for waivered services on or after July 1, 1997.

(b) The following costs must be included in determining the total monthly costs for the waiver client:

(1) cost of all waivered services, including extended medical supplies and equipment and environmental modifications; and

(2) cost of skilled nursing, home health aide, and personal care services reimbursable by medical assistance.

Subd. 3c. Repealed, 1Sp2001 c 9 art 3 s 76; art 4 s 34

Subd. 3c. Service approval and contracting provisions. (a) Medical assistance funding for skilled nursing services, private duty nursing, home health aide, and personal care services for waiver recipients must be approved by the case manager and included in the individual care plan.

(b) A county is not required to contract with a provider of supplies and equipment if the monthly cost of the supplies and equipment is less than $250.

Subd. 3d. Adult foster care rate. The adult foster care rate shall be considered a difficulty of care payment and shall not include room and board. The adult foster care service rate shall be negotiated between the county agency and the foster care provider. The elderly waiver payment for the foster care service in combination with the payment for all other elderly waiver services, including case management, must not exceed the limit specified in subdivision 3a, paragraph (a).

Subd. 3e. Assisted living service rate. (a) Payment for assisted living service shall be a monthly rate negotiated and authorized by the county agency based on an individualized service plan for each resident and may not cover direct rent or food costs.

(b) The individualized monthly negotiated payment for assisted living services as described in section 256B.0913, subdivisions 5d to 5f, and residential care services as described in section 256B.0913, subdivision 5c, shall not exceed the nonfederal share, in effect on July 1 of the state fiscal year for which the rate limit is being calculated, of the greater of either the statewide or any of the geographic groups' weighted average monthly nursing facility rate of the case mix resident class to which the elderly waiver eligible client would be assigned under Minnesota Rules, parts 9549.0050 to 9549.0059, less the maintenance needs allowance as described in subdivision 1d, paragraph (a), until the July 1 of the state fiscal year in which the resident assessment system as described in section 256B.437 for nursing home rate determination is implemented. Effective on July 1 of the state fiscal year in which the resident assessment system as described in section 256B.437 for nursing home rate determination is implemented and July 1 of each subsequent state fiscal year, the individualized monthly negotiated payment for the services described in this clause shall not exceed the limit described in this clause which was in effect on June 30 of the previous state fiscal year and which has been adjusted by the greater of any legislatively adopted home and community-based services cost-of-living percentage increase or any legislatively adopted statewide percent rate increase for nursing facilities.

(c) The individualized monthly negotiated payment for assisted living services described in section 144A.4605 and delivered by a provider licensed by the Department of Health as a class A home care provider or an assisted living home care provider and provided in a building that is registered as a housing with services establishment under chapter 144D and that provides 24-hour supervision in combination with the payment for other elderly waiver services, including case management, must not exceed the limit specified in subdivision 3a.

Subd. 3f. Individual service rates; expenditure forecasts. (a) The county shall negotiate individual service rates with vendors and may authorize payment for actual costs up to the county's current approved rate. Persons or agencies must be employed by or under a contract with the county agency or the public health nursing agency of the local board of health in order to receive funding under the elderly waiver program, except as a provider of supplies and equipment when the monthly cost of the supplies and equipment is less than $250.

(b) Reimbursement for the medical assistance recipients under the approved waiver shall be made from the medical assistance account through the invoice processing procedures of the department's Medicaid Management Information System (MMIS), only with the approval of the client's case manager. The budget for the state share of the Medicaid expenditures shall be forecasted with the medical assistance budget, and shall be consistent with the approved waiver.

Subd. 3g. Service rate limits; state assumption of costs. (a) To improve access to community services and eliminate payment disparities between the alternative care program and the elderly waiver, the commissioner shall establish statewide maximum service rate limits and eliminate county-specific service rate limits.

(b) Effective July 1, 2001, for service rate limits, except those described or defined in subdivisions 3d and 3e, the rate limit for each service shall be the greater of the alternative care statewide maximum rate or the elderly waiver statewide maximum rate.

(c) Counties may negotiate individual service rates with vendors for actual costs up to the statewide maximum service rate limit.

Subd. 4. Termination notice. The case manager must give the individual a ten-day written notice of any denial, reduction, or termination of waivered services.

Subd. 5. Assessments and reassessments for waiver clients. Each client shall receive an initial assessment of strengths, informal supports, and need for services in accordance with section 256B.0911, subdivisions 3, 3a, and 3b. A reassessment of a client served under the elderly waiver must be conducted at least every 12 months and at other times when the case manager determines that there has been significant change in the client's functioning. This may include instances where the client is discharged from the hospital.

Subd. 6. Implementation of care plan. Each elderly waiver client shall be provided a copy of a written care plan that meets the requirements outlined in section 256B.0913, subdivision 8. If the county administering waivered services is different than the county of financial responsibility, the care plan may be implemented without the approval of the county of financial responsibility.

Subd. 7. Prepaid elderly waiver services. An individual for whom a prepaid health plan is liable for nursing home services or elderly waiver services according to section 256B.69, subdivision 6a, is not eligible to receive county-administered elderly waiver services under this section.

Subd. 8. Services and supports. (a) Services and supports shall meet the requirements set out in United States Code, title 42, section 1396n.

(b) Services and supports shall promote consumer choice and be arranged and provided consistent with individualized, written care plans.

(c) The state of Minnesota, county, or tribal government under contract to administer the elderly waiver shall not be liable for damages, injuries, or liabilities sustained through the purchase of direct supports or goods by the person, the person's family, or the authorized representatives with funds received through consumer-directed community support services under the federally approved waiver plan. Liabilities include, but are not limited to, workers' compensation liability, the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA), or the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA).

Subd. 9. Tribal management of elderly waiver. Notwithstanding contrary provisions of this section, or those in other state laws or rules, the commissioner and White Earth reservation may develop a model for tribal management of the elderly waiver program and implement this model through a contract between the state and White Earth Reservation. The model shall include the provision of tribal waiver case management, assessment for personal care assistance, and administrative requirements otherwise carried out by counties but shall not include tribal financial eligibility determination for medical assistance.

HIST: 1991 c 292 art 7 s 16; 1992 c 513 art 7 s 62-64; 1Sp1993 c 1 art 5 s 68-72; 1Sp1993 c 6 s 13; 1995 c 207 art 6 s 70-74; 1995 c 263 s 9; 1996 c 451 art 2 s 26-28; art 5 s 23,24; 1997 c 113 s 18; 1997 c 203 art 4 s 40-43; 1998 c 407 art 4 s 37,38; 1Sp2001 c 9 art 4 s 28-30; 2002 c 277 s 16,17; 2002 c 375 art 2 s 26-30; 2002 c 379 art 1 s 113; 1Sp2003 c 14 art 2 s 26; art 3 s 30

Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes