1999 Montana Legislature

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SENATE BILL NO. 534

INTRODUCED BY B. KEENAN

BY REQUEST OF THE HOUSE JOINT APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES AND AGING

Montana State Seal

AN ACT GENERALLY REVISING LAWS REGARDING PUBLIC MENTAL HEALTH DELIVERY; REQUIRING THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES TO INCREMENTALLY IMPLEMENT A MENTAL HEALTH MANAGED CARE SYSTEM; REQUIRING A MENTAL HEALTH MANAGED CARE CONTRACTOR THAT ASSUMES RISK TO COMPLY WITH MEDICAID MANAGED CARE LAWS; PROVIDING FOR DEPARTMENT RESPONSIBILITIES; PROVIDING RULEMAKING AUTHORITY; CREATING THE OFFICE OF A MENTAL HEALTH MANAGED CARE OMBUDSMAN; AMENDING SECTIONS 33-1-102, 33-31-115, 33-31-202, 53-1-413, 53-6-131, 53-6-703, 53-6-704, 53-6-706, AND 53-6-709, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE AND A TERMINATION DATE.



     WHEREAS, the Legislature is firmly committed to a managed care system for the delivery of public mental health services in an efficient and cost-effective manner and to ensuring access to services and quality of care; and

     WHEREAS, in order for mental health managed care to be successful, care management must be carefully monitored and any contract for services must be enforced; and

     WHEREAS, the state, service providers, and service recipients and their families must work cooperatively to ensure that the public mental health delivery system is successful; and

     WHEREAS, the Legislature is committed to a transition from the existing contract to a competitive procurement of mental health managed care services.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:



     Section 1.  Section 33-1-102, MCA, is amended to read:

     "33-1-102.  Compliance required -- exceptions -- health service corporations -- health maintenance organizations -- governmental insurance programs. (1) A person may not transact a business of insurance in Montana or a business relative to a subject resident, located, or to be performed in Montana without complying with the applicable provisions of this code.

     (2)  The provisions of this code do not apply with respect to:

     (a)  domestic farm mutual insurers as identified in chapter 4, except as stated in chapter 4;

     (b)  domestic benevolent associations as identified in chapter 6, except as stated in chapter 6; and

     (c)  fraternal benefit societies, except as stated in chapter 7.

     (3)  This code applies to health service corporations as prescribed in 33-30-102. The existence of the corporations is governed by Title 35, chapter 2, and related sections of the Montana Code Annotated.

     (4)  This code does not apply to health maintenance organizations or to managed care community networks, as defined in 53-6-702, to the extent that the existence and operations of those organizations are governed by chapter 31 or to the extent that the existence and operations of those networks are governed by Title 53, chapter 6, part 7. The department of public health and human services is responsible to protect the interests of consumers by providing complaint, appeal, and grievance procedures relating to managed care community networks and health maintenance organizations under contract to provide services under Title 53, chapter 6.

     (5)  This code does not apply to workers' compensation insurance programs provided for in Title 39, chapter 71, parts 21 and 23, and related sections.

     (6)  This code does not apply to the functions performed by a managed care contractor providing mental health services under the Montana medicaid program as established in Title 53, chapter 6.

     (6) The department of public health and human services may limit the amount, scope, and duration of services for programs established under Title 53 that are provided under contract by entities subject to this title. The department of public health and human services may establish more restrictive eligibility requirements and fewer services than may be required by this title.

     (7)  This code does not apply to the state employee group insurance program established in Title 2, chapter 18, part 8.

     (8)  This code does not apply to insurance funded through the state self-insurance reserve fund provided for in 2-9-202.

     (9) (a)  This code does not apply to any arrangement, plan, or interlocal agreement between political subdivisions of this state in which the political subdivisions undertake to separately or jointly indemnify one another by way of a pooling, joint retention, deductible, or self-insurance plan.

     (b)  This code does not apply to any arrangement, plan, or interlocal agreement between political subdivisions of this state or any arrangement, plan, or program of a single political subdivision of this state in which the political subdivision provides to its officers, elected officials, or employees disability insurance or life insurance through a self-funded program."



     Section 2.  Section 33-31-115, MCA, is amended to read:

     "33-31-115.  Applicability to managed health care community networks entity. (1) A managed health care community network entity, as defined in 53-6-702, is governed by the provisions of Title 53, chapter 6, part 7, and by the licensure and financial solvency provisions of this chapter, but the commissioner may by rule reduce or eliminate a requirement of this chapter if the requirement is demonstrated to be unnecessary for the operation of a managed health care community network entity.

     (2) The department of public health and human services may limit the amount, scope, and duration of services provided by a managed health care entity under contract for programs established under Title 53. These services may be less than services required by this title."



     Section 3.  Section 33-31-202, MCA, is amended to read:

     "33-31-202.  Issuance of certificate of authority. (1) The commissioner shall issue or deny a certificate of authority to any person filing an application pursuant to 33-31-201 within 180 days after receipt of the application. The commissioner shall grant a certificate of authority upon payment of the application fee prescribed in 33-31-212 if the commissioner is satisfied that each of the following conditions is met:

     (a)  The persons responsible for the conduct of the applicant's affairs are competent and trustworthy.

     (b)  The health maintenance organization will effectively provide or arrange for the provision of basic health care services on a prepaid basis, through insurance or otherwise, except to the extent of reasonable requirements for copayments. This requirement does not apply to the physical or mental health care services provided by a health maintenance organization to a person receiving medicaid services under the Montana medicaid program as established in Title 53, chapter 6.

     (c)  The health maintenance organization is financially responsible and can reasonably be expected to meet its obligations to enrollees and prospective enrollees. In making this determination, the commissioner may consider:

     (i)  the financial soundness of the arrangements for health care services and the schedule of charges used in connection with the services;

     (ii)  the adequacy of working capital;

     (iii)  any agreement with an insurer, a health service corporation, a government, or any other organization for ensuring the payment of the cost of health care services or the provision for automatic applicability of an alternative coverage in the event of discontinuance of the health maintenance organization;

     (iv)  any agreement with providers for the provision of health care services;

     (v)  any deposit of cash or securities submitted in accordance with 33-31-216; and

     (vi)  any additional information that the commissioner may reasonably require.

     (d)  The enrollees must be afforded an opportunity to participate in matters of policy and operation pursuant to 33-31-222.

     (e)  Nothing in the proposed method of operation, as shown by the information submitted pursuant to 33-31-201 or by independent investigation, violates any provision of this chapter or rules adopted by the commissioner.

     (2)  The commissioner may deny a certificate of authority only if the requirements of 33-31-404 are complied with."



     Section 4.  Section 53-1-413, MCA, is amended to read:

     "53-1-413.  Deposit of payments and collections. (1) Except as provided in 90-7-220, 90-7-221, and this section, the department shall deposit payments and collections of charges for a resident's cost of care in the state treasury to the credit of the general fund.

     (2)  Payments and collections for services provided to residents of the Montana veterans' home must be deposited in the special revenue account for the benefit of the home. Payments and collections for services provided to residents of the Montana chemical dependency treatment center must be deposited in the state special revenue account for the facility.

     (3)  Subject to 90-7-221, payments from a managed care organization that is contracting with the department to administer a mental health managed care program for services provided by the Montana state hospital and the Montana mental health nursing care center must be deposited in the state special revenue account, subject to appropriation by the legislature for the benefit of those institutions.

     (4) Medicaid payments for services provided by the Montana state hospital and the Montana mental health nursing care center must be deposited in the federal special revenue fund and are subject to appropriation for the benefit of the mental health managed care program."



     Section 5.  Section 53-6-131, MCA, is amended to read:

     "53-6-131.  Eligibility requirements. (1) Medical assistance under the Montana medicaid program may be granted to a person who is determined by the department of public health and human services, in its discretion, to be eligible as follows:

     (a)  The person receives or is considered to be receiving supplemental security income benefits under Title XVI of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. 1381, et seq., and does not have income or resources in excess of the applicable medical assistance limits or receive from FAIM financial assistance, as defined in 53-4-702, benefits under Title IV of the federal Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. 601, et seq.

     (b)  The person would be eligible for assistance under a program described in subsection (1)(a) if that person were to apply for that assistance.

     (c)  The person is in a medical facility that is a medicaid provider and, but for residence in the facility, the person would be receiving assistance under one of the programs in subsection (1)(a).

     (d)  The person is under 19 years of age and meets the conditions of eligibility in the state plan, as defined in 53-4-201, other than with respect to age and school attendance.

     (e)  The person is under 21 years of age and in foster care under the supervision of the state or was in foster care under the supervision of the state and has been adopted as a hard-to-place child.

     (f)  The person meets the nonfinancial criteria of the categories in subsections (1)(a) through (1)(e) and:

     (i)  the person's income does not exceed the income level specified for federally aided categories of assistance and the person's resources are within the resource standards of the federal supplemental security income program; or

     (ii) the person, while having income greater than the medically needy income level specified for federally aided categories of assistance:

     (A)  has an adjusted income level, after incurring medical expenses, that does not exceed the medically needy income level specified for federally aided categories of assistance or, alternatively, has paid in cash to the department the amount by which the person's income exceeds the medically needy income level specified for federally aided categories of assistance; and

     (B)  has resources that are within the resource standards of the federal supplemental security income program.

     (g)  The person is a qualified pregnant woman or child as defined in 42 U.S.C. 1396d(n).

     (2)  The department may establish income and resource limitations. Limitations of income and resources must be within the amounts permitted by federal law for the medicaid program.

     (3)  The Montana medicaid program shall pay, as required by federal law, the premiums necessary for medicaid-eligible persons participating in the medicare program and may, within the discretion of the department, pay all or a portion of the medicare premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance for a qualified medicare-eligible person or for a qualified disabled and working individual, as defined in section 6408(d)(2) of the federal Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1989, Public Law 101-239, who:

     (a)  has income that does not exceed income standards as may be required by the Social Security Act; and

     (b)  has resources that do not exceed standards that the department determines reasonable for purposes of the program.

     (4)  The department may pay a medicaid-eligible person's expenses for premiums, coinsurance, and similar costs for health insurance or other available health coverage, as provided in 42 U.S.C. 1396b(a)(1).

     (5)  In accordance with waivers of federal law that are granted by the secretary of the U.S. department of health and human services, the department of public health and human services may grant eligibility for basic medicaid benefits as described in 53-6-101 to an individual receiving FAIM financial assistance, as defined in 53-4-702, as the specified caretaker relative of a dependent child under the FAIM project and to all adult recipients of medical assistance only who are covered under a group related to the program of FAIM financial assistance. A recipient who is pregnant, meets the criteria for disability provided in Title II of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. 416, et seq., or is less than 21 years of age is entitled to full medicaid coverage as provided in 53-6-101.

     (6)  The department, under the Montana medicaid program, may provide, if a waiver is not available from the federal government, medicaid and other assistance mandated by Title XIX of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. 1396, et seq., as may be amended, and not specifically listed in this part to categories of persons that may be designated by the act for receipt of assistance.

     (7)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, medical assistance must be provided to infants and pregnant women whose family income does not exceed 133% of the federal poverty threshold, as provided in 42 U.S.C. 1396a(a)(10)(A)(ii)(IX) and 42 U.S.C. 1396a(l)(2)(A)(i), and whose family resources do not exceed standards that the department determines reasonable for purposes of the program.

     (8)  Subject to appropriations, the department may cooperate with and make grants to a nonprofit corporation that uses donated funds to provide basic preventive and primary health care medical benefits to children whose families are ineligible for the Montana medicaid program and who are ineligible for any other health care coverage, are under 19 years of age, and are enrolled in school if of school age.

     (9)  A person described in subsection (7) must be provided continuous eligibility for medical assistance, as authorized in 42 U.S.C. 1396a(e)(5) through a(e)(7).

     (10) The department may establish resource and income standards of eligibility for mental health services that are more liberal than the resource and income standards of eligibility for physical health services. The standards for eligibility for mental health services may provide for eligibility for households not eligible for medicaid with family income that does not exceed 200% of the federal poverty threshold or that does not exceed a lesser amount determined in the discretion of the department. The department may by rule specify under what circumstances deductions for medical expenses should be used to reduce countable family income in determining eligibility. The department may also adopt rules establishing fees, premiums, or copayments to be charged recipients for services. The fees, premiums, or copayments may vary according to family income."



     Section 6.  Mental health managed care -- contract -- advisory council. (1) The department of public health and human services shall incrementally develop managed care systems for recipients of public mental health services. The department may contract with one or more persons for the management of comprehensive mental health services for medicaid recipients and for persons as specified in 53-6-131(10). The department may contract for the provision of these services by means of a fixed monetary or capitated amount per recipient. The department shall ensure that each contractor that assumes risk is required to comply with the provisions of Title 53, chapter 6, part 7, for the medicaid portion of the program.

     (2)  A managed care system is a program organized to serve the mental health needs of recipients in an efficient and cost-effective manner by managing the receipt of mental health care and services for a geographical or otherwise defined population of recipients through appropriate health care professionals. The management of mental health care services must provide for services in the most cost-effective manner through coordination and management of the appropriate level of care and appropriate level of services. The managed care system shall review and determine the appropriate level of services on an individual basis in order to ensure that access to care, quality of care, and the cost of the program are maintained.

     (3) The department may enter into one or more contracts with managed care entities for the administration or delivery of mental health services. These contracts may be based upon a fixed monetary amount or a capitated amount per individual, and a contractor may assume all or a part of the financial risk of providing services to a set population of eligible individuals. The department may require the participation of recipients in managed care systems based upon geographical, financial, medical, or other factors that the department may determine are relevant to the development and efficient operation of the managed care systems.

     (4) The department may establish eligibility requirements, resource and income standards, premiums, fees, and copayments. Eligible individuals may not have a family income that exceeds the amount established pursuant to 53-6-131(10).

     (5) The department shall establish the amount, scope, and duration of services to be provided under the program. The services to be provided and eligibility requirements may be more limited than those in the medicaid program under chapter 6.

     (6)  (a) The department shall form an advisory council, to be known as the mental health oversight advisory council, that is not subject to 2-15-122 to provide input to the department in the development and management of any public mental health system. The advisory council membership must include:

     (i) one-half of the members as consumers of mental health services, including persons with serious mental illnesses who are receiving public mental health services, other recipients of mental health services, former recipients of public mental health services, and immediate family members of recipients of mental health services; and

     (ii) advocates for consumers or family members of consumers, members of the public at large, providers of mental health services, legislators, department representatives, and a representative of the commissioner of insurance.

     (b)  The advisory council under this section may be administered so as to fulfill any federal advisory council requirements to obtain federal funds for this program.

     (c) Geographic representation must be considered when appointing members to the advisory council in order to provide as wide a representation as possible.

     (d) The advisory council shall provide a summary of each meeting and a copy of any recommendations made to the department to the legislative finance committee and any other designated appropriate legislative interim committee. The department shall provide the same committees with the department's rationale for not accepting or implementing any recommendation of the advisory council.

     (7) The department shall formally evaluate contract performance with regard to specific outcome measures. The department shall explicitly identify performance and outcome measures that contractors are required to achieve in order to comply with contract requirements and to continue the contract. The contract must provide for progressive intermediate sanctions that may be imposed for nonperformance. The evaluation must be performed at least annually.



     Section 7.  Mental health managed care -- system elements. (1) The department of public health and human services shall develop a delivery system of mental health managed care from current providers or other entities that are able to provide administration or delivery of mental health services. A system of mental health managed care must include the following elements:

     (a) specific outcome and performance measures for the administration or delivery of a continuum of mental health services in order to provide contract compliance monitoring;

     (b) a fixed monetary or capitated payment mechanism;

     (c) a provision for local advisory councils that shall report to and meet on a regular basis with the advisory council provided for in [section 6(6)];

     (d) provisions for appeal at the local level;

     (e) a requirement that each contractor that assumes any financial risk shall comply with the provisions of Title 53, chapter 6, part 7, for the medicaid portion of the program;

     (f) provisions that require documentation of evidence of the ability to provide services through an adequate provider network, as provided for in Title 33, chapter 36, and to comply with rules, regulations, and contract requirements;

     (g) a provision that, prior to final award of a contract, a successful bidder that serves adults shall enter into a contract with the Montana state hospital and the Montana mental health nursing care center that is consistent with 53-1-402, 53-1-413, and 90-7-312 and that includes financial incentives for the development and use of community-based services, rather than the use of the state institutional services;

     (h) the services that must be provided for medicaid-eligible individuals;

     (i)  a provision to allow a spenddown by individuals to become eligible for medicaid;

     (j) the services, which may include a pharmacy benefit, that must be provided to nonmedicaid-eligible individuals whose income levels are below 200% of the federal poverty level as provided for in 53-6-131(10);

     (k) a provision that allows implementation of a specific sliding scale for premiums or copayments by nonmedicaid-eligible individuals taking into account income and percentage of poverty level;

     (l) a provision for children who need mental health services that are provided under substantive interagency agreements between state agencies responsible for addictive and mental disorders, foster care, children with developmental disabilities, special education, and juvenile corrections; and

     (m) requirements to ensure that the mental health managed care system will be operated in a cost-effective manner.

     (2) Services for nonmedicaid-eligible individuals may be more limited than those services provided to medicaid-eligible individuals.

     (3) The department shall contract with an independent professional consulting firm that is knowledgeable and experienced in developing managed mental health care systems. The department shall require, as part of the contract, that the consulting firm make regular reports to the legislative finance committee and any other appropriate legislative interim committee. Reports must be made at least every 6 months and must include information about the development and implementation of the new mental health managed care system.

     (4) The term of a mental health managed care contract may not be more than 5 years. The department may implement care-managed fee-for-service reimbursement to provide mental health services as otherwise permitted by law during the transition from a single statewide contract for mental health managed care.



     Section 8.  Rulemaking authority. (1) The department shall adopt appropriate rules necessary for the administration of a program to provide mental health managed care services. The rules must establish eligibility criteria and may include but are not limited to financial standards and criteria for income and resources, treatment of resources, nonfinancial criteria, residency, application, termination, definition of terms, and confidentiality of applicant and recipient information.

     (2) The department shall adopt rules establishing the amount, scope, and duration of services. The rules may also include but are not limited to ensuring that services are medically necessary and that the services are the most efficient and cost-effective available.

     (3) The department may adopt rules establishing rates of reimbursement of services provided under this part, selection and qualification of providers, and standards for managed care.

     (4) Rules adopted by the department must take into account, when appropriate, the availability of appropriated funds, the actual costs of services, the quality of services, the professional knowledge and skills necessary for the delivery of services, and the availability of services.



     Section 9.  Section 53-6-703, MCA, is amended to read:

     "53-6-703.  Managed care community network. (1) A managed care community network shall comply with:

     (a)  the licensure and financial solvency requirements of Title 33, chapter 31, but the commissioner may by rule reduce or eliminate a requirement of Title 33, chapter 31, if the requirement is demonstrated to be unnecessary for the operation of the managed care community network; and

     (b)  the federal requirements for prepaid health plans as provided in 42 CFR, part 434.

     (2)  A managed care community network may contract with the department to provide any combination of medicaid-covered health care services that is acceptable to the department.

     (3)  A managed care community network shall demonstrate its ability to bear the financial risk of servicing enrollees under the program. The commissioner shall by rule adopt criteria for assessing the financial soundness of a network. The rules must consider the extent to which a network is composed of providers who directly render health care and are located within the community in which they seek to contract rather than solely arrange or finance the delivery of health care. The rules must consider risk-bearing and management techniques, as determined appropriate by the commissioner. The rules must also consider whether a network has sufficiently demonstrated its financial solvency and net worth. The commissioner's criteria must be based on sound actuarial, financial, and accounting principles. The commissioner is responsible for monitoring compliance with the rules.

     (4)  A managed care community network may not begin operation before the effective date of rules adopted by the commissioner under this part, the approval of any necessary federal waivers, and the completion of the review of an application submitted to the commissioner. The commissioner may charge the applicant an application review fee for the commissioner's actual cost of review of the application. The fees must be adopted by rule by the commissioner. Fees collected by the commissioner must be deposited in an account in the special revenue fund and are statutorily appropriated, as provided in 17-7-502, to the commissioner to defray the cost of application review.

     (5)  A health care delivery system that contracts with the department under the program may not be required to provide or arrange for any health care or medical service, procedure, or product that violates religious or moral teachings and beliefs if that health care delivery system is owned, controlled, or sponsored by or affiliated with a religious institution or religious organization but must comply with the notice requirements of 53-6-705(4)(c).

     (6)  The commissioner shall adopt rules to protect managed care community networks against financial insolvency. Managed care community networks are subject to health maintenance protections against financial insolvency contained in 33-31-216 in the event that a managed care community network is declared insolvent or bankrupt."



     Section 10.  Section 53-6-704, MCA, is amended to read:

     "53-6-704.  Different benefit packages. (1) The department may by rule provide for different benefit packages for different categories of persons enrolled in the program. Alcohol and substance abuse services, services for mental disorders, services related to children with chronic or acute conditions requiring longer-term treatment and followup, and rehabilitation care provided by a freestanding rehabilitation hospital or a rehabilitation unit may be excluded from a benefit package if and those services are may be made available through a separate delivery system. If a service is excluded from the program but made available in a separate delivery system by a managed care entity, that managed care entity is subject to this part. An exclusion does not prohibit the department from developing and implementing demonstration projects for categories of persons or services. Benefit packages for persons eligible for medical assistance under Title 53, chapter 6, parts 1 and 4, may be based on the requirements of those parts and must be consistent with the Title XIX of the Social Security Act. This part applies only to services purchased by the department.

     (2)  The program established by this part may be implemented by the department in various contracting areas at various times. The health care delivery systems and providers available under the program may vary throughout the state. A Except as otherwise provided in a contract for mental health services, a licensed managed health care entity must be permitted to contract in any geographic area for which it has a sufficient provider network and that otherwise meets the requirements of the state contract."



     Section 11.  Section 53-6-706, MCA, is amended to read:

     "53-6-706.  Requirements relating to enrollees. (1) All individuals enrolled in the program must be provided with a full written explanation of all fee-for-service and managed health care plan options as provided by rule. The department shall provide to enrollees, upon enrollment in the program and at least annually, notice of the process for requesting an appeal under the department's administrative appeal procedures. The department shall maintain a toll-free telephone number for program enrollees' use in reporting problems with managed health care entities.

     (2)  If an individual becomes eligible for participation in the program while the individual is hospitalized, the department may not enroll may, but is not required to, enroll the individual in the program until after prior to the individual has been discharged individual's discharge from the hospital. This subsection does not apply to a newborn infant whose mother is enrolled in the program.

     (3)  The department shall, by rule, establish rates for managed health care entities that:

     (a)  are certified to be actuarially sound, in accordance with federal requirements and with the department's current payment system;

     (b)  take into account any difference of cost to provide health care to different populations based on age and eligibility category. The rates for managed health care entities must be determined on a capitated basis.

     (c)  are based on treatment settings reasonably available to enrollees."



     Section 12.  Section 53-6-709, MCA, is amended to read:

     "53-6-709.  Legislative auditor -- oversight. (1) In order to prevent, detect, and eliminate fraud, waste, abuse, mismanagement, and misconduct and to determine that the program is administered fairly and effectively, the legislative auditor shall oversee all aspects of the managed care covered by this part.

     (2)  A medical provider may not be compelled to provide individual medical records of patients unless the records are provided in accordance with the provisions of the Government Health Care Information Act. State and local governmental agencies shall provide the requested information, assistance, or cooperation.

     (3)  All activities conducted by the legislative auditor must be conducted in a manner that ensures the preservation of evidence for use in criminal prosecutions. The legislative auditor may present for prosecution the findings of any activity to the office of the attorney general or to United States attorneys in Montana.

     (4)  The legislative auditor shall report all convictions, terminations, and suspensions taken against vendors, contractors, and health care providers to the department and to any agency responsible for licensing or regulating those persons or entities.

     (5)  The legislative auditor shall make periodic reports, findings, and recommendations regarding its oversight activities authorized by this section.

     (6)  This part does not limit investigations by the department that may otherwise be required by law or that may be necessary in the department's capacity as the central administrative authority responsible for administration of public aid programs in this state."



     Section 13.  Mental health managed care ombudsman. There is a mental health managed care ombudsman. The ombudsman must be appointed by the governor for a term of 4 years. The ombudsman is attached to the mental disabilities board of visitors for administrative purposes. The ombudsman shall represent the interests of consumers of services with the contractor or the department of public health and human services under the mental health provisions of Title 53, chapters 6 and 21.



     Section 14.  Inpatient hospital youth psychiatric benefits. The department may authorize inpatient hospital youth psychiatric facilities to participate in the medicaid program for acute care inpatient hospital services. Payments made by the department must comply with all of the requirements of chapter 6, including but not limited to the determination of medical necessity, the diagnostic-related group rates established by the department for acute care inpatient hospital services, any travel restrictions, and exclusion of services not covered by the medicaid program.



     Section 15.  Transition. The department shall seek to continue its medicaid mental health managed care waiver as long as possible during the transition period to the new mental health managed care program as provided in [section 6]. If the state loses its existing medicaid waiver for mental health managed care, then it shall pursue appropriate waivers for the transition to a new mental health managed care system as provided in [section 6].



     Section 16.  Codification instruction. (1) [Sections 6 through 8 and 15] are intended to be codified as an integral part of Title 53, chapter 21, and the provisions of Title 53, chapter 21, apply to [sections 6 through 8 and 15].

     (2) [Section 13] is intended to be codified as an integral part of Title 2, chapter 15, part 2, and the provisions of Title 2, chapter 15, part 2, apply to [section 13].

     (3) [Section 14] is intended to be codified as an integral part of Title 53, chapter 6, part 1, and the provisions of Title 53, chapter 6, part 1 apply to [section 14].



     Section 17.  Effective date. [This act] is effective on passage and approval.



     Section 18.  Termination. [Section 14] terminates June 30, 2001.

- END -




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