1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to health; appropriating money for health 
  1.3             care consumer assistance grants. 
  1.4   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.5      Section 1.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  1.6      (a) $600,000 is appropriated in fiscal year 1998 and 
  1.7   $600,000 is appropriated in fiscal year 1999 from the general 
  1.8   fund to the commissioner of health for health care consumer 
  1.9   assistance grants to the regional coordinating boards 
  1.10  established under section 62J.09.  
  1.11     (b) The commissioner of health shall award a grant to each 
  1.12  of the six regional coordinating boards to develop projects to 
  1.13  provide information about health coverage and to provide 
  1.14  assistance to individuals in obtaining public and private health 
  1.15  care benefits.  Each regional coordinating board shall contract 
  1.16  with an advocacy organization to develop and administer the 
  1.17  project, giving right of first refusal to area agencies on 
  1.18  aging.  Area agencies on aging may collaborate in forming and 
  1.19  operating projects to work within the geographic boundaries of 
  1.20  the regional coordinating boards.  Projects must: 
  1.21     (1) train and support professional staff to work in 
  1.22  partnership with volunteers as the primary source of one-on-one 
  1.23  information and assistance services; 
  1.24     (2) provide individual consumers with assistance in 
  2.1   interpreting the terms of a certificate, contract, or policy of 
  2.2   health coverage, including, but not limited to, terms relating 
  2.3   to covered services, limitations on services, limitations on 
  2.4   access to providers, and enrollee complaint and appeal 
  2.5   procedures; 
  2.6      (3) assist individuals to understand medical bills and to 
  2.7   process health care claims and appeals to obtain health care 
  2.8   benefits; and 
  2.9      (4) coordinate with existing health insurance counseling 
  2.10  programs serving Medicare eligible individuals or expand these 
  2.11  programs to serve all consumers.  
  2.12     (c) The commissioner of health and the commissioner of 
  2.13  commerce shall require all health plan companies serving 
  2.14  enrollees within each region to regularly provide the regional 
  2.15  coordinating boards, or the entities under contract with the 
  2.16  boards, with current listings of providers and current 
  2.17  certificates, contracts, or policies of coverage.  
  2.18     (d) The commissioner of health shall allocate the $600,000 
  2.19  each year as follows: 
  2.20     (1) regional coordinating board one, $50,000; 
  2.21     (2) regional coordinating board two, $60,000; 
  2.22     (3) regional coordinating board three, $90,000; 
  2.23     (4) regional coordinating board four, $200,000 
  2.24     (5) regional coordinating board five, $150,000; and 
  2.25     (6) regional coordinating board six, $50,000.