1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to human services; clarifying the 
  1.3             rehabilitative and therapeutic services covered under 
  1.4             medical assistance; amending Minnesota Statutes 1996, 
  1.5             section 256B.0625, by adding a subdivision; repealing 
  1.6             Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 256B.0625, 
  1.7             subdivisions 8 and 8a. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 256B.0625, is 
  1.10  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  1.11     Subd. 8b.  [REHABILITATIVE AND THERAPEUTIC SERVICES.] (a) 
  1.12  Medical assistance covers physical therapy and related services, 
  1.13  occupational therapy and related services, speech language 
  1.14  pathology services, and audiology services. 
  1.15     (b) Coverage shall include appropriate and necessary 
  1.16  rehabilitative and therapeutic services, which address an 
  1.17  individual's physical or mental condition and which are 
  1.18  appropriate in terms of type, frequency, level, setting, and 
  1.19  duration to the individual's physical condition.  Coverage shall 
  1.20  also include rehabilitative and therapeutic services, which help 
  1.21  to establish, improve, restore, maintain, or prevent the 
  1.22  deterioration in the individual's physical or mental health 
  1.23  condition or help to develop functional capacity in the 
  1.24  individual's physical or mental health condition.  
  1.25     (c) Services provided by physical therapist assistants 
  1.26  shall be reimbursed at the same rate as services performed by a 
  2.1   physical therapist who is on the premises.  Services provided by 
  2.2   a physical therapy assistant that are provided under the 
  2.3   direction of a physical therapist who is not on the premises 
  2.4   shall be reimbursed at 65 percent of the physical therapist rate.
  2.5      (d) Services provided by occupational therapist assistants 
  2.6   shall be reimbursed at the same rate as services performed by an 
  2.7   occupational therapist who is on the premises.  Services 
  2.8   provided by an occupational therapy assistant that are provided 
  2.9   under the direction of an occupational therapist who is not on 
  2.10  the premises shall be reimbursed at 65 percent of the 
  2.11  occupational therapist rate.  
  2.12     Sec. 2.  [REPEALER.] 
  2.13     Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 256B.0625, subdivisions 8 
  2.14  and 8a, are repealed. 
  2.15     Sec. 3.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.16     Sections 1 and 2 are effective the day following final 
  2.17  enactment and shall apply to all contracts entered into after 
  2.18  that date by the commissioner of human services to provide 
  2.19  medical assistance covered services.