1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to human services; authorizing employers to 
  1.3             provide workers' compensation health benefits through 
  1.4             broader health insurance; authorizing the commissioner 
  1.5             of human services to contract with certain nursing 
  1.6             facilities to provide 24-hour health coverage to 
  1.7             employees; appropriating money; amending Minnesota 
  1.8             Statutes 1998, sections 176.135, subdivision 1; and 
  1.9             256B.434, by adding a subdivision. 
  1.10  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.11     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 176.135, 
  1.12  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  1.13     Subdivision 1.  [MEDICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, CHIROPRACTIC, 
  1.14  PODIATRIC, SURGICAL, HOSPITAL.] (a) The employer shall furnish 
  1.15  any medical, psychological, chiropractic, podiatric, surgical 
  1.16  and hospital treatment, including nursing, medicines, medical, 
  1.17  chiropractic, podiatric, and surgical supplies, crutches and 
  1.18  apparatus, including artificial members, or, at the option of 
  1.19  the employee, if the employer has not filed notice as 
  1.20  hereinafter provided, Christian Science treatment in lieu of 
  1.21  medical treatment, chiropractic medicine and medical supplies, 
  1.22  as may reasonably be required at the time of the injury and any 
  1.23  time thereafter to cure and relieve from the effects of the 
  1.24  injury.  This treatment shall include treatments necessary to 
  1.25  physical rehabilitation. 
  1.26     (b) The employer shall pay for the reasonable value of 
  1.27  nursing services provided by a member of the employee's family 
  2.1   in cases of permanent total disability.  
  2.2      (c) Exposure to rabies is an injury and an employer shall 
  2.3   furnish preventative treatment to employees exposed to rabies. 
  2.4      (d) The employer shall furnish replacement or repair for 
  2.5   artificial members, glasses or spectacles, artificial eyes, 
  2.6   podiatric orthotics, dental bridge work, dentures or artificial 
  2.7   teeth, hearing aids, canes, crutches, or wheel chairs damaged by 
  2.8   reason of an injury arising out of and in the course of the 
  2.9   employment.  For the purpose of this paragraph, "injury" 
  2.10  includes damage wholly or in part to an artificial member.  In 
  2.11  case of the employer's inability or refusal seasonably to 
  2.12  provide the items required to be provided under this paragraph, 
  2.13  the employer is liable for the reasonable expense incurred by or 
  2.14  on behalf of the employee in providing the same, including costs 
  2.15  of copies of any medical records or medical reports that are in 
  2.16  existence, obtained from health care providers, and that 
  2.17  directly relate to the items for which payment is sought under 
  2.18  this chapter, limited to the charges allowed by subdivision 7, 
  2.19  and attorney fees incurred by the employee.  
  2.20     (e) Both the commissioner and the compensation judges have 
  2.21  authority to make determinations under this section in 
  2.22  accordance with sections 176.106 and 176.305.  
  2.23     (f) An employer may require that the treatment and supplies 
  2.24  required to be provided by an employer by this section be 
  2.25  received in whole or in part from a managed care plan certified 
  2.26  under section 176.1351 except as otherwise provided by that 
  2.27  section. 
  2.28     (g) An employer may provide the treatment and supplies 
  2.29  required to be provided by an employer under this section 
  2.30  through insurance coverage that also provides health care 
  2.31  benefits not required by this section. 
  2.32     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 256B.434, is 
  2.33  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  2.34     Subd. 18.  [24-HOUR COVERAGE.] (a) Beginning July 1, 1999, 
  2.35  the commissioner may contract with nursing facilities that have 
  2.36  entered into alternative payment demonstration project contracts 
  3.1   under this section to offer coordinated or integrated 24-hour 
  3.2   coverage of health care needs usually provided under a 
  3.3   combination of health insurance and workers' compensation 
  3.4   insurance coverage. 
  3.5      (b) Coverage under paragraph (a) may be according to one of 
  3.6   the following approaches, or according to another approach 
  3.7   mutually agreed to between the commissioner and the facility: 
  3.8      (1) all inclusive coverage that provides medical and 
  3.9   disability benefits for all basic health care services, 
  3.10  illnesses, diseases, and injuries; or 
  3.11     (2) integrated management of workers' compensation and 
  3.12  group health insurance claims. 
  3.13     (c) Coverage under this subdivision must be in compliance 
  3.14  with existing laws regulating health insurance and workers' 
  3.15  compensation insurance. 
  3.16     (d) Within the limit of appropriations specifically for 
  3.17  this purpose, the commissioner may make grants to nursing 
  3.18  facilities reimbursed under this section to: 
  3.19     (1) work with health insurers or workers' compensation 
  3.20  insurers to develop a 24-hour coverage product; or 
  3.21     (2) to offer health care insurance to workers in order to 
  3.22  be able to participate in a contract to coordinate or integrate 
  3.23  health care and workers' compensation coverage. 
  3.24     Sec. 3.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  3.25     $....... is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  3.26  commissioner of human services for the biennium beginning July 
  3.27  1, 1999, for the purposes of section 1.