Purpose of the Bill

The bill aims to provide state-funded medical assistance and MinnesotaCare to inmates in county jails in Minnesota. This seeks to ensure that individuals detained in these facilities have access to necessary medical services.

Main Provisions

1. Medical Assistance for Constrained Individuals:

   • Inmates who are conditionally released or under specific forms of surveillance, like house arrest, may receive medical assistance if they are otherwise eligible.
   • Inmates detained for less than 12 months will have their medical assistance eligibility suspended during incarceration but will be reinstated upon release without needing to reapply.

2. Eligibility for MinnesotaCare:

   • Persons detained in county jails are eligible for MinnesotaCare as long as they meet the general requirements, unlike those in other correctional or detention facilities, unless they await disposition of charges.

3. Cost Management and Limitations:

   • County boards are responsible for paying medical service costs but cannot be charged more than the maximum medical assistance rate.
   • Medical providers must adhere to negotiated rates or standard medical assistance rates if no agreements exist.
   • Prisoners may have co-payment obligations for the medical services they receive, and counties can seek reimbursement if the inmate has the ability to pay.

4. Special Billing Conditions:

   • If an inmate is covered by health insurance or a health plan, providers must bill these instead of the county. Counties can pursue reimbursement from these insurance providers.
   • Counties cannot pursue subrogation against the medical assistance program, ensuring that state-funded medical support remains uninterrupted.

5. Assistance for Inmate Enrollment:

   • Counties have the authority to assist inmates in applying for medical assistance and MinnesotaCare, facilitating access to healthcare resources.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Eligibility Adjustments: The bill modifies existing statutes to allow detained individuals awaiting charges or serving short incarcerations to maintain or regain healthcare access seamlessly.
• Cooperative Healthcare Funding: Establishes a more structured approach for handling medical costs in county jails, involving both public and private resources, while protecting prisoner rights to fair billing and assistance enrollment processes.

Relevant Terms

medical assistance, MinnesotaCare, county jail, inmate healthcare, conditional release, incarceration, eligibility, medical services, co-payment, reimbursement, health insurance, subrogation, healthcare access, public detention facility.