1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to human services; increasing the income 
  1.3             limit for the prescription drug program; shortening 
  1.4             the timeline for the enrollment of disabled 
  1.5             individuals; providing a higher burial exclusion; 
  1.6             amending Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 256.955, 
  1.7             subdivisions 2a, 2b, and by adding a subdivision. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 256.955, 
  1.10  subdivision 2a, is amended to read: 
  1.11     Subd. 2a.  [ELIGIBILITY.] An individual satisfying the 
  1.12  following requirements and the requirements described in 
  1.13  subdivision 2, paragraph (d), is eligible for the prescription 
  1.14  drug program: 
  1.15     (1) is at least 65 years of age or older; and 
  1.16     (2) is eligible as a qualified Medicare beneficiary 
  1.17  according to section 256B.057, subdivision 3 or 3a, or is 
  1.18  eligible under section 256B.057, subdivision 3 or 3a, and is 
  1.19  also eligible for medical assistance or general assistance 
  1.20  medical care with a spenddown as defined in section 256B.056, 
  1.21  subdivision 5 enrollee whose assets are no more than $10,000 for 
  1.22  a single individual and $18,000 for a married couple or family 
  1.23  of two or more, using the asset methodology for aged, blind, or 
  1.24  disabled individuals specified in section 256B.056, subdivision 
  1.25  1a; and 
  1.26     (3) has a household income that does not exceed 200 percent 
  2.1   of the federal poverty guidelines, using the income methodology 
  2.2   for aged, blind, or disabled individuals specified in section 
  2.3   256B.056, subdivision 1a. 
  2.4      Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 256.955, 
  2.5   subdivision 2b, is amended to read: 
  2.6      Subd. 2b.  [ELIGIBILITY.] Effective July 1, 2002 2001, an 
  2.7   individual satisfying the following requirements and the 
  2.8   requirements described in subdivision 2, paragraph (d), is 
  2.9   eligible for the prescription drug program: 
  2.10     (1) is under 65 years of age; and 
  2.11     (2) is eligible as a qualified Medicare beneficiary 
  2.12  according to section 256B.057, subdivision 3, or is eligible 
  2.13  under section 256B.057, subdivision 3, and is also eligible for 
  2.14  medical assistance or general assistance medical care with a 
  2.15  spenddown as defined in section 256B.056, subdivision 5 enrollee 
  2.16  whose assets are no more than $10,000 for a single individual 
  2.17  and $18,000 for a married couple or family of two or more, using 
  2.18  the asset methodology for aged, blind, or disabled individuals 
  2.19  specified in section 256B.056, subdivision 1a; and 
  2.20     (3) has a household income that does not exceed 200 percent 
  2.21  of the federal poverty guidelines, using the income methodology 
  2.22  for aged, blind, or disabled individuals specified in section 
  2.23  256B.056, subdivision 1a. 
  2.24     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 256.955, is 
  2.25  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  2.26     Subd. 2c.  [BURIAL EXCLUSION.] Effective upon receipt of 
  2.27  any necessary federal waivers and other required federal 
  2.28  approval, or July 1, 2002, whichever is later, assets designated 
  2.29  specifically for burial expenses up to a total of $8,000 are 
  2.30  excluded for the prescription drug program under this section 
  2.31  and for qualified Medicare beneficiaries under section 256B.057, 
  2.32  subdivisions 3 and 3a, as an alternative to the supplemental 
  2.33  security income burial exclusion policy in section 256B.056, 
  2.34  subdivision 3, paragraph (d).