Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to override a veto of a bill that extends the General Assistance Medical Care Program.

Highlights:

-Requires the inclusion of mental health urgent care and psychiatric consultation services as part of six community-based behavioral health hospitals and the Anoka-Metro Regional Treatment Center, and defines mental health urgent care as (Sec. 1):

-initial screening; -crisis assessment and intervention; -rapid access to psychiatry; -nonhospital crisis stabilization residential beds; and -assistance navigating health care services, including help obtaining health care for the uninsured.

-Increases the payment for medical assistance fee-for-service inpatient admissions on or after July 1, 2010 for various diagnosis-related groups (Sec. 4). -Authorizes Hennepin and Ramsey Counties to make voluntary intergovernmental transfers not to exceed $12 million a year from Hennepin County and $6 million a year from Ramsey County (Sec. 8). -Requires the commissioner of human services to increase medical assistance payments to any licensed health plan under contract with the medical assistance program that agrees to make enhanced payments to Hennepin County Medical Center or Regions Hospital (Sec. 8). -Requires the commissioner of human services to analyze the demographics, health care needs and usage of health care services among enrollees of the MinnesotaCare program and based upon analysis identify individuals who are eligible for a modified MinnesotaCare program (Sec. 13). -Prohibits the payment of general assistance medical care for any applicant or recipient who (Sec.14):

-fails to verify their assets; -is a parent or guardian with their children residing in the same household; -is enrolled in a private health care coverage; -is in a correctional facility; -is in a Minnesota sex offender program; -does not cooperate with the county or state agency to meet the requirements for eligibility or with the medical review team to determine disability. -is an undocumented immigrant.

-Requires that coverage under general assistance medical care continue until enrollment in MinnesotaCare is complete (Sec. 14). -Defines services covered by general assistance medical care as including, but not limited to (Sec. 14):

-inpatient and outpatient hospital services; -services performed by a nurse or nurse practitioner -prescription drugs; -eye glasses and eye exams; -dental services; -mental health services; and -medical supplies and equipment.

-Authorizes a county or groups of counties to provide health care services to individuals who are eligible for general assistance medical care if the services provided are similar to those provided by the general assistance medical care except for outpatient prescription drug coverage (Sec. 14). -Establishes payment rates for all covered services provided by the general assistance medical care program, except for outpatient drug coverage, between March 1, 2010 and July 1, 2010 as 50 percent of the rates on February 28, 2010 (Sec. 14). -Requires the commissioner to develop and implement a health care home program for single adults and households without children (Sec. 21). -Requires the continuation of a drug rebate program for drugs purchased by individuals eligible for the general assistance medical care program (Sec. 24). -Appropriates $68.57 million for 2010 and $185.16 million for 2011 for Health Care Access programs (Art. 2, Sec. 2).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to override a veto of a bill that extends the General Assistance Medical Care Program.

Highlights:

-Requires the inclusion of mental health urgent care and psychiatric consultation services as part of six community-based behavioral health hospitals and the Anoka-Metro Regional Treatment Center, and defines mental health urgent care as (Sec. 1):

-initial screening; -crisis assessment and intervention; -rapid access to psychiatry; -nonhospital crisis stabilization residential beds; and -assistance navigating health care services, including help obtaining health care for the uninsured.

-Increases the payment for medical assistance fee-for-service inpatient admissions on or after July 1, 2010 for various diagnosis-related groups (Sec. 4). -Authorizes Hennepin and Ramsey Counties to make voluntary intergovernmental transfers not to exceed $12 million a year from Hennepin County and $6 million a year from Ramsey County (Sec. 8). -Requires the commissioner of human services to increase medical assistance payments to any licensed health plan under contract with the medical assistance program that agrees to make enhanced payments to Hennepin County Medical Center or Regions Hospital (Sec. 8). -Requires the commissioner of human services to analyze the demographics, health care needs and usage of health care services among enrollees of the MinnesotaCare program and based upon analysis identify individuals who are eligible for a modified MinnesotaCare program (Sec. 13). -Prohibits the payment of general assistance medical care for any applicant or recipient who (Sec.14):

-fails to verify their assets; -is a parent or guardian with their children residing in the same household; -is enrolled in a private health care coverage; -is in a correctional facility; -is in a Minnesota sex offender program; -does not cooperate with the county or state agency to meet the requirements for eligibility or with the medical review team to determine disability. -is an undocumented immigrant.

-Requires that coverage under general assistance medical care continue until enrollment in MinnesotaCare is complete (Sec. 14). -Defines services covered by general assistance medical care as including, but not limited to (Sec. 14):

-inpatient and outpatient hospital services; -services performed by a nurse or nurse practitioner -prescription drugs; -eye glasses and eye exams; -dental services; -mental health services; and -medical supplies and equipment.

-Authorizes a county or groups of counties to provide health care services to individuals who are eligible for general assistance medical care if the services provided are similar to those provided by the general assistance medical care except for outpatient prescription drug coverage (Sec. 14). -Establishes payment rates for all covered services provided by the general assistance medical care program, except for outpatient drug coverage, between March 1, 2010 and July 1, 2010 as 50 percent of the rates on February 28, 2010 (Sec. 14). -Requires the commissioner to develop and implement a health care home program for single adults and households without children (Sec. 21). -Requires the continuation of a drug rebate program for drugs purchased by individuals eligible for the general assistance medical care program (Sec. 24). -Appropriates $68.57 million for 2010 and $185.16 million for 2011 for Health Care Access programs (Art. 2, Sec. 2).

Full Bill Text

Vetoed by Governor Tim Pawlenty

Full Bill Text
Veto Letter

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that extends General Assistance Medical Care Coverage and establishes mental health urgent care.

Highlights:

-Specifies that for the first 6 months of the rebased period beginning January 1, 2011, operating payment rates shall not be reimbursed (Art. 1, Sec. 2). -Specifies that from July 1, 2011 to March 31, 2012, operating payment rates shall be rebased at 39.2 percent of the full value of the rebasing percentage change (Art. 1, Sec. 2). -Specifies that the total payment for fee-for-service admissions occurring on or after July 1, 2009, through June 30, 2011, made to hospitals for inpatient services before third-party liability and spend down, is reduced 1.9 percent from the current statutory rates (Art. 1, Sec. 3). -Establishes that for admissions occurring on or after July 1, 2010, the commissioner shall increase the total payment for medical assistance fee-for-service inpatient admissions at any hospital that is a non-state public Minnesota hospital and a Level I trauma center (Art. 1, Sec. 4). -Specifies that Hennepin and Ramsey counties may annually make voluntary payments to the commissioner of $7 million and $3.5 million respectively (Art. 1, Sec. 4). -Establishes that the commissioner in consultation with the Drug Utilization Review Board and actively practicing pediatric mental health professionals, must (Art. 1, Sec. 7):

-Identify recommended pediatric dose ranges for atypical antipsychotic drugs and drugs used for attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder based on available medical, clinical, and safety data and research; -Identify situations where a collaborative psychiatric consultation and prior authorization should be required before the initiation or continuation of drug therapy in pediatric patients; and -Track prescriptive practices and the use of psychotropic medications in children with the goal of reducing the use of medication.

-Establishes that beginning January 1, 2010, Hennepin County and Ramsey County may make monthly voluntary intergovernmental transfers to the commissioner not to exceed 12 million dollars and 6 million dollars per year, respectively (Art. 1, Sec. 8). -Specifies that the commissioner of human services shall continue to administer a drug rebate program for drugs purchased for persons eligible for the general assistance medical care program (Art. 1, Sec. 22). -Appropriates $88.58 million in 2010 and an additional $27.797 million in 2011 to human services (Art. 2, Sec. 2).

Full Bill Text