2019 Minnesota Statutes
Chapters 245 - 267 — Public Welfare And Related Activities
Chapter 256B — Medical Assistance For Needy Persons
Section 256B.043 — Cost-containment Efforts.

Subdivision 1. Alternative and complementary health care. The commissioner of human services, through the medical director and in consultation with the Health Services Policy Committee established under section 256B.0625, subdivision 3c, as part of the commissioner's ongoing duties, shall consider the potential for improving quality and obtaining cost savings through greater use of alternative and complementary treatment methods and clinical practice; shall incorporate these methods into the medical assistance and MinnesotaCare programs; and shall make related legislative recommendations as appropriate. The commissioner shall post the recommendations required under this subdivision on agency websites.

Subd. 2. Access to care. (a) The commissioners of human services and health, as part of their ongoing duties, shall consider the adequacy of the current system of community health clinics and centers both statewide and in urban areas with significant disparities in health status and access to services across racial and ethnic groups, including:

(1) methods to provide 24-hour availability of care through the clinics and centers;

(2) methods to expand the availability of care through the clinics and centers;

(3) the use of grants to expand the number of clinics and centers, the services provided, and the availability of care; and

(4) the extent to which increased use of physician assistants, nurse practitioners, medical residents and interns, and other allied health professionals in clinics and centers would increase the availability of services.

(b) The commissioners shall make departmental modifications and legislative recommendations as appropriate on the basis of their considerations under paragraph (a).

History: 2006 c 267 art 1 s 9; 2014 c 192 art 4 s 2; 2016 c 158 art 2 s 83