Legislative Session number- 81

Bill Name: SF1687

Relating to health ARTICLE 1 - PURPOSE Creating the Minnesota universal health
board to provide a single publicly financed and statewide program of
comprehensive coverage for necessary health care services for Minnesota
residents ARTICLE 2 - REGIONAL BOARDS Replacing regional coordinating boards for
health care with regional consumer boards and prescribing the membership;
specifying certain regional budget duties and an implementation schedule ARTICLE
3 - MINNESOTA UNIVERSAL HEALTH BOARD Specifying Minnesota universal health board
membership eligibility, composition and duties, requiring annual reports to the
legislature and governor and administrative support from the commissioner of
health, authorizing rules; specifying a schedule for implementation of the
Minnesota universal health program by the board and the commissioner;
establishing the Minnesota health care trust fund and the prevention, health
services, capital, communication and transportation, evaluation, planning and
assessment and medical research accounts within the fund to be used for certain
specified purposes; specifying certain residency requirements for eligibility
under the universal health program; providing for a phase-in of eligibility;
authorizing payment for out of state care provided to state residents and
coverage using a sliding fee scale to nonresidents employed in the state;
specifying covered and excluded services, requiring the board to establish a
benefits advisory committee; providing for choice of providers; prohibiting
duplicate coverage; specifying certain provider responsibilities and providing
for reimbursement to providers under the program, prohibiting providers from
charging rates higher than the negotiated reimbursement rates or from charging
separately for services, authorizing election for reimbursement on a capitation
basis in place of fee for service reimbursement; requiring board rules
establishing a review and approval process for regional boards; requiring the
commissioner to study statewide health care spending to enable the board and
regional boards to establish and enforce the state and regional health care
budgets; providing for funding of the universal health program through the
consolidation of funding from existing state and federal programs and designated
progressive income tax, prohibiting copayments, deductibles or other out of
pocket payments by individuals for services; repealing the requirement for the
commissioner to establish specific public health goals (rla)