Plain English Breakdown
The plain English breakdown is still being put together. The official documents below are already here.
HF4892 • 2026
Uncompensated care relief programs established, rulemaking authorized, and money appropriated.
Uncompensated care relief programs established, rulemaking authorized, and money appropriated.
Passed Legislature
This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.
Bill History
-
2026-04-09
House
Introduction and first reading, referred to Health Finance and Policy
Official Summary Text
Uncompensated care relief programs established, rulemaking authorized, and money appropriated.
Current Bill Text
Read the full stored bill text
A bill for an act relating to health; establishing uncompensated care relief programs; authorizing rulemaking; appropriating money; amending Laws 2025, First Special Session chapter 3, article 23, section 3, subdivision 2; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 144. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: Section 1. new text begin [144.5911] HOSPITAL UNCOMPENSATED CARE RELIEF PROGRAM. new text end new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end new text begin Establishment. new text end new text begin The commissioner of health must establish a hospital uncompensated care relief program to provide financial relief to hospitals that experience a disproportionate level of uncompensated care. new text end new text begin Subd. 2. new text end new text begin Definitions. new text end new text begin (a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the meanings given. new text end new text begin (b) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of health. new text end new text begin (c) "Qualifying hospital" means a hospital: new text end new text begin (1) licensed under section 144.50; new text end new text begin (2) located within the state; and new text end new text begin (3) that has filed a Medicare cost report in the Healthcare Cost Report Information System. new text end new text begin (d) "Qualifying uncompensated episode of care" means the provision by a qualifying hospital of one or more services that are covered under medical assistance to an individual during a single patient encounter or episode of care when the: new text end new text begin (1) individual is not enrolled in medical assistance, MinnesotaCare, or Medicare and does not have other health coverage; new text end new text begin (2) individual is determined to be ineligible for medical assistance and MinnesotaCare for the date of service following any retroactive eligibility determination; and new text end new text begin (3) total cumulative reimbursement amount for the services provided, if paid under medical assistance payment methodologies, would be at least $5,000 but not more than $50,000. new text end new text begin Subd. 3. new text end new text begin Application for payments. new text end new text begin (a) A qualifying hospital seeking payment under this section must submit to the commissioner documentation identifying qualifying uncompensated episodes of care within a reporting period. new text end new text begin (b) The reporting periods are: new text end new text begin (1) January 1 through June 30; and new text end new text begin (2) July 1 through December 31. new text end new text begin (c) For services provided during the January 1 through June 30 reporting period, a qualifying hospital must submit the required documentation to the commissioner by September 15 of the same calendar year. new text end new text begin (d) For services provided during the July 1 through December 31 reporting period, a qualifying hospital must submit the required documentation to the commissioner by March 15 of the next calendar year. new text end new text begin (e) Qualifying hospitals must submit documentation in a form and manner specified by the commissioner and must provide supporting documentation as requested by the commissioner. new text end new text begin Subd. 4. new text end new text begin Calculation of payments. new text end new text begin (a) For each reporting period, the commissioner must determine each qualifying hospital's share of the total value of qualifying uncompensated episodes of care submitted under subdivision 3. new text end new text begin (b) The commissioner must distribute payments proportionally based on each qualifying hospital's share of the statewide total. new text end new text begin (c) A qualifying hospital must not receive more than ten percent of the money available for a reporting period. new text end new text begin (d) If money remains after the payment limitation in paragraph (c), the commissioner must redistribute the remaining money among qualifying hospitals that have not reached the limit in paragraph (c) in proportion to their share of the value of qualifying uncompensated episodes of care. new text end new text begin (e) The commissioner may establish procedures by rulemaking to reconcile adjustments, corrected claims, or late submissions in a subsequent reporting period. new text end new text begin Subd. 5. new text end new text begin Distribution of payments. new text end new text begin (a) One half of the annual appropriation for this program must be allocated to each reporting period. new text end new text begin (b) For the January 1 through June 30 reporting period, the commissioner must distribute payments no later than November 1 of the same calendar year. new text end new text begin (c) For the July 1 through December 31 reporting period, the commissioner must distribute payments no later than May 1 of the next calendar year. new text end Sec. 2. new text begin [144.5912] COMMUNITY-BASED SAFETY NET PROVIDER UNCOMPENSATED CARE RELIEF PROGRAM. new text end new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end new text begin Establishment. new text end new text begin The commissioner of health must establish a community-based safety net provider uncompensated care relief program to provide financial relief to community-based safety net providers that experience a disproportionate level of uncompensated care. new text end new text begin Subd. 2. new text end new text begin Definitions. new text end new text begin (a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the meanings given. new text end new text begin (b) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of health. new text end new text begin (c) "Qualifying community-based safety net provider" means a: new text end new text begin (1) federally qualified health center under section 145.9269, subdivision 1; new text end new text begin (2) certified community behavioral health clinic under section 245.735; or new text end new text begin (3) community mental health center under section 256B.0625, subdivision 5. new text end new text begin (d) "Qualifying uncompensated episode of care" means the provision by a qualifying community-based safety net provider of one or more services that are covered under medical assistance to an individual during a single patient encounter or episode of care when the: new text end new text begin (1) individual is not enrolled in medical assistance, MinnesotaCare, or Medicare and does not have other health coverage; new text end new text begin (2) individual is determined to be ineligible for medical assistance and MinnesotaCare for the date of service following any retroactive eligibility determination; and new text end new text begin (3) total cumulative reimbursement amount for the services provided, if paid under medical assistance payment methodologies, would be at least $200 but not more than $2,000. new text end new text begin Subd. 3. new text end new text begin Application for payments. new text end new text begin (a) A qualifying community-based safety net provider seeking payment under this section must submit to the commissioner documentation identifying qualifying uncompensated episodes of care within the reporting period. new text end new text begin (b) The reporting periods are: new text end new text begin (1) January 1 through June 30; and new text end new text begin (2) July 1 through December 31. new text end new text begin (c) For services provided during the January 1 through June 30 reporting period, a qualifying community-based safety net provider must submit the required documentation to the commissioner by September 15 of the same calendar year. new text end new text begin (d) For services provided during the July 1 through December 31 reporting period, a qualifying community-based safety net provider must submit the required documentation to the commissioner by March 15 of the next calendar year. new text end new text begin (e) Qualifying community-based safety net providers must submit documentation in a form and manner specified by the commissioner and must provide supporting documentation as requested by the commissioner. new text end new text begin Subd. 4. new text end new text begin Calculation of payments. new text end new text begin (a) For each reporting period, the commissioner must determine each qualifying community-based safety net provider's share of the total value of qualifying uncompensated episodes of care submitted under subdivision 3. new text end new text begin (b) The commissioner must distribute payments proportionally based on each qualifying community-based safety net provider's share of the statewide total. new text end new text begin (c) A qualifying community-based safety net provider must not receive more than ten percent of the money available for a reporting period. new text end new text begin (d) If money remains after the payment limitation in paragraph (c), the commissioner must redistribute the remaining money among qualifying community-based safety net providers that have not reached the limit in paragraph (c) in proportion to the community-based safety net provider's share of the value of qualifying uncompensated episodes of care. new text end new text begin (e) The commissioner may establish procedures by rulemaking to reconcile adjustments, corrected claims, or late submissions in a subsequent reporting period. new text end new text begin Subd. 5. new text end new text begin Distribution of payments. new text end new text begin (a) One half of the annual appropriation for this program must be allocated to each reporting period. new text end new text begin (b) For the January 1 through June 30 reporting period, the commissioner must distribute payments no later than November 1 of the same calendar year. new text end new text begin (c) For the July 1 through December 31 reporting period, the commissioner must distribute payments no later than May 1 of the next calendar year. new text end Sec. 3. Laws 2025, First Special Session chapter 3, article 23, section 3, subdivision 2, is amended to read: Subd. 2. Rural EMS Uncompensated Care Pool Payment Program $4,291,000 in fiscal year 2026 and deleted text begin $4,291,000 deleted text end new text begin $....... new text end in fiscal year 2027 are for the rural EMS uncompensated care pool payment program under Minnesota Statutes, section 144E.55 . These appropriations are available until June 30, 2029. The general fund base for this appropriation is $1,070,000 in fiscal year 2028, $1,070,000 in fiscal year 2029, $3,791,000 in fiscal year 2030, and $3,791,000 in fiscal year 2031. The health care access fund base for this appropriation is $2,721,000 in fiscal year 2028, $2,721,000 in fiscal year 2029, and $0 in fiscal year 2030. Notwithstanding section 8, Minnesota Statutes, section 16B.98, subdivision 14 , applies to this subdivision. Sec. 4. new text begin APPROPRIATIONS. new text end new text begin (a) $....... is appropriated in fiscal year 2027 from the general fund to the commissioner of health for the hospital uncompensated care relief program under section 144.5911. new text end new text begin (b) $....... is appropriated in fiscal year 2027 from the general fund to the commissioner of health for the community-based safety net provider uncompensated care relief program under section 144.5912. new text end