1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to health; expanding eligibility for the 
  1.3             MinnesotaCare program; appropriating money; amending 
  1.4             Minnesota Statutes 1995 Supplement, section 256.9354, 
  1.5             subdivision 5. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1995 Supplement, section 
  1.8   256.9354, subdivision 5, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subd. 5.  [ADDITION OF SINGLE ADULTS AND HOUSEHOLDS WITH NO 
  1.10  CHILDREN.] (a) Beginning October 1, 1994, the definition of 
  1.11  "eligible persons" is expanded to include all individuals and 
  1.12  households with no children who have gross family incomes that 
  1.13  are equal to or less than 125 percent of the federal poverty 
  1.14  guidelines and who are not eligible for medical assistance 
  1.15  without a spenddown under chapter 256B.  
  1.16     (b) After October 1, 1995 Beginning July 1, 1996, the 
  1.17  commissioner of human services may shall expand the definition 
  1.18  of "eligible persons" to include all individuals and households 
  1.19  with no children who have gross family incomes that are equal to 
  1.20  or less than 135 150 percent of federal poverty guidelines and 
  1.21  are not eligible for medical assistance without a spenddown 
  1.22  under chapter 256B.  This expansion may must occur only 
  1.23  if unless the commissioner certifies that the financial 
  1.24  management requirements of section 256.9352, subdivision 3, can 
  1.25  cannot be met. 
  2.1      (c) The commissioners of health and human services, in 
  2.2   consultation with the legislative commission on health care 
  2.3   access, shall make preliminary recommendations to the 
  2.4   legislature by October 1, 1995, and final recommendations to the 
  2.5   legislature by February 1, 1996, on whether a further expansion 
  2.6   of the definition of "eligible persons" to include all 
  2.7   individuals and households with no children who have gross 
  2.8   family incomes that are equal to or less than 150 percent of 
  2.9   federal poverty guidelines and are not eligible for medical 
  2.10  assistance without a spenddown under chapter 256B would be 
  2.11  allowed under the financial management constraints outlined in 
  2.12  section 256.9352, subdivision 3.  
  2.13     (d) All eligible persons under paragraphs (a) and (b) are 
  2.14  eligible for coverage through the MinnesotaCare program but must 
  2.15  pay a premium as determined under sections 256.9357 and 
  2.16  256.9358.  Individuals and families whose income is greater than 
  2.17  the limits established under section 256.9358 may not enroll in 
  2.18  the MinnesotaCare program. 
  2.19     Sec. 2.  [DATA COLLECTION PLAN.] 
  2.20     By November 15, 1996, the commissioner of health shall 
  2.21  submit a plan to the legislature to collect data for an 
  2.22  epidemiological study of breast cancer.  The plan shall include 
  2.23  methods to collect data regarding the correlation between breast 
  2.24  cancer and such factors as age, race, medical procedures, diet, 
  2.25  and genetics. 
  2.26     Sec. 3.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.27     The appropriation in Laws 1995, chapter 234, article 11, 
  2.28  section 2, for the department of human services for fiscal year 
  2.29  1996 is reduced by $265,000, and the appropriation for fiscal 
  2.30  year 1997 is increased by $174,000.