Minn. Stat. § 256.969

(a) The hospital cost index shall be the change in the Consumer Price Index-All Items (United States city average) (CPI-U) forecasted by Data Resources, Inc. The commissioner shall use the indices as forecasted in the third quarter of the calendar year prior to the rate year. The hospital cost index may be used to adjust the base year operating payment rate through the rate year on an annually compounded basis.

(b) For fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 1993, the commissioner of human services shall not provide automatic annual inflation adjustments for hospital payment rates under medical assistance, nor under general assistance medical care, except that the inflation adjustments under paragraph (a) for medical assistance, excluding general assistance medical care, shall apply through calendar year 2001. The index for calendar year 2000 shall be reduced 2.5 percentage points to recover overprojections of the index from 1994 to 1996. The commissioner of management and budget shall include as a budget change request in each biennial detailed expenditure budget submitted to the legislature under section 16A.11 annual adjustments in hospital payment rates under medical assistance and general assistance medical care, based upon the hospital cost index.

The commissioner shall use to the extent possible existing diagnostic classification systems, including the system used by the Medicare program to determine the relative values of inpatient services and case mix indices. The commissioner may combine diagnostic classifications into diagnostic categories and may establish separate categories and numbers of categories based on program eligibility or hospital peer group. Relative values shall be recalculated when the base year is changed. Relative value determinations shall include paid claims for admissions during each hospital's base year. The commissioner may extend the time period forward to obtain sufficiently valid information to establish relative values. Relative value determinations shall not include property cost data, Medicare crossover data, and data on admissions that are paid a per day transfer rate under subdivision 14. The computation of the base year cost per admission must include identified outlier cases and their weighted costs up to the point that they become outlier cases, but must exclude costs recognized in outlier payments beyond that point. The commissioner may recategorize the diagnostic classifications and recalculate relative values and case mix indices to reflect actual hospital practices, the specific character of specialty hospitals, or to reduce variances within the diagnostic categories after notice in the State Register and a 30-day comment period. The commissioner shall recategorize the diagnostic classifications and recalculate relative values and case mix indices based on the two-year schedule in effect prior to January 1, 2013, reflected in subdivision 2b. The first recategorization shall occur January 1, 2013, and shall occur every two years after. When rates are not rebased under subdivision 2b, the commissioner may establish relative values and case mix indices based on charge data and may update the base year to the most recent data available.

Subd. 2b. Operating payment rates.

In determining operating payment rates for admissions occurring on or after the rate year beginning January 1, 1991, and every two years after, or more frequently as determined by the commissioner, the commissioner shall obtain operating data from an updated base year and establish operating payment rates per admission for each hospital based on the cost-finding methods and allowable costs of the Medicare program in effect during the base year. Rates under the general assistance medical care, medical assistance, and MinnesotaCare programs shall not be rebased to more current data on January 1, 1997, January 1, 2005, for the first 24 months of the rebased period beginning January 1, 2009. For the rebased period beginning January 1, 2011, rates shall not be rebased, except that a Minnesota long-term hospital shall be rebased effective January 1, 2011, based on its most recent Medicare cost report ending on or before September 1, 2008, with the provisions under subdivisions 9 and 23, based on the rates in effect on December 31, 2010. For subsequent rate setting periods in which the base years are updated, a Minnesota long-term hospital's base year shall remain within the same period as other hospitals. Effective January 1, 2013, and after, rates shall not be rebased. The base year operating payment rate per admission is standardized by the case mix index and adjusted by the hospital cost index, relative values, and disproportionate population adjustment. The cost and charge data used to establish operating rates shall only reflect inpatient services covered by medical assistance and shall not include property cost information and costs recognized in outlier payments.

Subd. 3.

[Repealed, 1989 c 282 art 3 s 98 ]

(a) Acute care hospital billings under the medical assistance program must not be submitted until the recipient is discharged. However, the commissioner shall establish monthly interim payments for inpatient hospitals that have individual patient lengths of stay over 30 days regardless of diagnostic category. Except as provided in section 256.9693 , medical assistance reimbursement for treatment of mental illness shall be reimbursed based on diagnostic classifications. Individual hospital payments established under this section and sections 256.9685 , 256.9686 , and 256.9695 , in addition to third-party and recipient liability, for discharges occurring during the rate year shall not exceed, in aggregate, the charges for the medical assistance covered inpatient services paid for the same period of time to the hospital. This payment limitation shall be calculated separately for medical assistance and general assistance medical care services. The limitation on general assistance medical care shall be effective for admissions occurring on or after July 1, 1991. Services that have rates established under subdivision 11 or 12, must be limited separately from other services. After consulting with the affected hospitals, the commissioner may consider related hospitals one entity and may merge the payment rates while maintaining separate provider numbers. The operating and property base rates per admission or per day shall be derived from the best Medicare and claims data available when rates are established. The commissioner shall determine the best Medicare and claims data, taking into consideration variables of recency of the data, audit disposition, settlement status, and the ability to set rates in a timely manner. The commissioner shall notify hospitals of payment rates by December 1 of the year preceding the rate year. The rate setting data must reflect the admissions data used to establish relative values. Base year changes from 1981 to the base year established for the rate year beginning January 1, 1991, and for subsequent rate years, shall not be limited to the limits ending June 30, 1987, on the maximum rate of increase under subdivision 1. The commissioner may adjust base year cost, relative value, and case mix index data to exclude the costs of services that have been discontinued by the October 1 of the year preceding the rate year or that are paid separately from inpatient services. Inpatient stays that encompass portions of two or more rate years shall have payments established based on payment rates in effect at the time of admission unless the date of admission preceded the rate year in effect by six months or more. In this case, operating payment rates for services rendered during the rate year in effect and established based on the date of admission shall be adjusted to the rate year in effect by the hospital cost index.

(a) The commissioner must not make medical assistance payments to a hospital for any costs of care that result from a condition listed in paragraph (c), if the condition was hospital acquired.

(b) For purposes of this subdivision, a condition is hospital acquired if it is not identified by the hospital as present on admission. For purposes of this subdivision, medical assistance includes general assistance medical care and MinnesotaCare.

(c) The prohibition in paragraph (a) applies to payment for each hospital-acquired condition listed in this paragraph that is represented by an ICD-9-CM diagnosis code and is designated as a complicating condition or a major complicating condition: (1) foreign object retained after surgery (ICD-9-CM codes 998.4 or 998.7); (2) air embolism (ICD-9-CM code 999.1); (3) blood incompatibility (ICD-9-CM code 999.6); (4) pressure ulcers stage III or IV (ICD-9-CM codes 707.23 or 707.24); (5) falls and trauma, including fracture, dislocation, intracranial injury, crushing injury, burn, and electric shock (ICD-9-CM codes with these ranges on the complicating condition and major complicating condition list: 800-829; 830-839; 850-854; 925-929; 940-949; and 991-994); (6) catheter-associated urinary tract infection (ICD-9-CM code 996.64); (7) vascular catheter-associated infection (ICD-9-CM code 999.31); (8) manifestations of poor glycemic control (ICD-9-CM codes 249.10; 249.11; 249.20; 249.21; 250.10; 250.11; 250.12; 250.13; 250.20; 250.21; 250.22; 250.23; and 251.0); (9) surgical site infection (ICD-9-CM codes 996.67 or 998.59) following certain orthopedic procedures (procedure codes 81.01; 81.02; 81.03; 81.04; 81.05; 81.06; 81.07; 81.08; 81.23; 81.24; 81.31; 81.32; 81.33; 81.34; 81.35; 81.36; 81.37; 81.38; 81.83; and 81.85); (10) surgical site infection (ICD-9-CM code 998.59) following bariatric surgery (procedure codes 44.38; 44.39; or 44.95) for a principal diagnosis of morbid obesity (ICD-9-CM code 278.01); (11) surgical site infection, mediastinitis (ICD-9-CM code 519.2) following coronary artery bypass graft (procedure codes 36.10 to 36.19); and (12) deep vein thrombosis (ICD-9-CM codes 453.40 to 453.42) or pulmonary embolism (ICD-9-CM codes 415.11 or 415.19) following total knee replacement (procedure code 81.54) or hip replacement (procedure codes 00.85 to 00.87 or 81.51 to 81.52). (d) The prohibition in paragraph (a) applies to any additional payments that result from a hospital-acquired condition listed in paragraph (c), including, but not limited to, additional treatment or procedures, readmission to the facility after discharge, increased length of stay, change to a higher diagnostic category, or transfer to another hospital. In the event of a transfer to another hospital, the hospital where the condition listed under paragraph (c) was acquired is responsible for any costs incurred at the hospital to which the patient is transferred. (e) A hospital shall not bill a recipient of services for any payment disallowed under this subdivision. Subd. 3c. Rateable reduction and readmissions reduction. (a) The total payment for fee for service admissions occurring on or after September 1, 2011, through June 30, 2015, made to hospitals for inpatient services before third-party liability and spenddown, is reduced ten percent from the current statutory rates. Facilities defined under subdivision 16, long-term hospitals as determined under the Medicare program, children's hospitals whose inpatients are predominantly under 18 years of age, and payments under managed care are excluded from this paragraph. (b) Effective for admissions occurring during calendar year 2010 and each year after, the commissioner shall calculate a regional readmission rate for admissions to all hospitals occurring within 30 days of a previous discharge. The commissioner may adjust the readmission rate taking into account factors such as the medical relationship, complicating conditions, and sequencing of treatment between the initial admission and subsequent readmissions. (c) Effective for payments to all hospitals on or after July 1, 2013, through June 30, 2015, the reduction in paragraph (a) is reduced one percentage point for every percentage point reduction in the overall readmissions rate between the two previous calendar years to a maximum of five percent. Subd. 4. [Repealed, 1989 c 282 art 3 s 98 ] Subd. 4a. Reports. If, under this section or section 256.9685 , 256.9686 , or 256.9695 , a hospital is required to report information to the commissioner by a specified date, the hospital must report the information on time. If the hospital does not report the information on time, the commissioner may determine the information that will be used and may disregard the information that is reported late. If the Medicare program does not require or does not audit information that is needed to establish medical assistance rates, the commissioner may, after consulting the affected hospitals, require reports to be provided, in a format specified by the commissioner, that are based on allowable costs and cost-finding methods of the Medicare program in effect during the base year. The commissioner may require any information that is necessary to implement this section and sections 256.9685 , 256.9686 , and 256.9695 to be provided by a hospital within a reasonable time period. Subd. 5. [Repealed, 1989 c 282 art 3 s 98 ] Subd. 5a. Audits and adjustments. Inpatient hospital rates and payments must be established under this section and sections 256.9685 , 256.9686 , and 256.9695 . The commissioner may adjust rates and payments based on the findings of audits of payments to hospitals, hospital billings, costs, statistical information, charges, or patient records performed by the commissioner or the Medicare program that identify billings, costs, statistical information, or charges for services that were not delivered, never ordered, in excess of limits, not covered by the medical assistance program, paid separately from rates established under this section and sections 256.9685 , 256.9686 , and 256.9695 , or for charges that are not consistent with other payor billings. Charges to the medical assistance program must be less than or equal to charges to the general public. Charges to the medical assistance program must not exceed the lowest charge to any other payor. The audit findings may be based on a statistically valid sample of hospital information that is needed to complete the audit. If the information the commissioner uses to establish rates or payments is not audited by the Medicare program, the commissioner may require an audit using Medicare principles and may adjust rates and payments to reflect any subsequent audit. Subd. 6. [Repealed, 1989 c 282 art 3 s 98 ] Subd. 6a. Special considerations. In determining the payment rates, the commissioner shall consider whether the circumstances in subdivisions 7 to 14 exist. Subd. 7. [Repealed, 1992 c 513 art 7 s 135 ] Subd. 8. Unusual length of stay experience. The commissioner shall establish day outlier thresholds for each diagnostic category established under subdivision 2 at two standard deviations beyond the mean length of stay. Payment for the days beyond the outlier threshold shall be in addition to the operating and property payment rates per admission established under subdivisions 2, 2b, and 2c. Payment for outliers shall be at 70 percent of the allowable operating cost, after adjustment by the case mix index, hospital cost index, relative values and the disproportionate population adjustment. The outlier threshold for neonatal and burn diagnostic categories shall be established at one standard deviation beyond the mean length of stay, and payment shall be at 90 percent of allowable operating cost calculated in the same manner as other outliers. A hospital may choose an alternative to the 70 percent outlier payment that is at a minimum of 60 percent and a maximum of 80 percent if the commissioner is notified in writing of the request by October 1 of the year preceding the rate year. The chosen percentage applies to all diagnostic categories except burns and neonates. The percentage of allowable cost that is unrecognized by the outlier payment shall be added back to the base year operating payment rate per admission. Subd. 8a. Short length of stay. Except as provided in subdivision 13, for admissions occurring on or after July 1, 1995, payment shall be determined as follows and shall be included in the base year for rate setting purposes: (1) for an admission that is categorized to a neonatal diagnostic related group in which the length of stay is less than 50 percent of the average length of stay for the category in the base year and the patient at admission is equal to or greater than the age of one, payments shall be established according to the methods of subdivision 14; (2) for an admission that is categorized to a diagnostic category that includes neonatal respiratory distress syndrome, the hospital must have a level II or level III nursery and the patient must receive treatment in that unit or payment will be made without regard to the syndrome condition. Subd. 8b. Admissions for persons who apply during hospitalization. For admissions for individuals under section 256D.03, subdivision 3 , paragraph (a), clause (2), that occur before the date of eligibility, payment for the days that the patient is eligible shall be established according to the methods of subdivision 14. Subd. 9. Disproportionate numbers of low-income patients served. (a) For admissions occurring on or after October 1, 1992, through December 31, 1992, the medical assistance disproportionate population adjustment shall comply with federal law and shall be paid to a hospital, excluding regional treatment centers and facilities of the federal Indian Health Service, with a medical assistance inpatient utilization rate in excess of the arithmetic mean. The adjustment must be determined as follows: (1) for a hospital with a medical assistance inpatient utilization rate above the arithmetic mean for all hospitals excluding regional treatment centers and facilities of the federal Indian Health Service but less than or equal to one standard deviation above the mean, the adjustment must be determined by multiplying the total of the operating and property payment rates by the difference between the hospital's actual medical assistance inpatient utilization rate and the arithmetic mean for all hospitals excluding regional treatment centers and facilities of the federal Indian Health Service; and (2) for a hospital with a medical assistance inpatient utilization rate above one standard deviation above the mean, the adjustment must be determined by multiplying the adjustment that would be determined under clause (1) for that hospital by 1.1. If federal matching funds are not available for all adjustments under this subdivision, the commissioner shall reduce payments on a pro rata basis so that all adjustments qualify for federal match. The commissioner may establish a separate disproportionate population operating payment rate adjustment under the general assistance medical care program. For purposes of this subdivision medical assistance does not include general assistance medical care. The commissioner shall report annually on the number of hospitals likely to receive the adjustment authorized by this paragraph. The commissioner shall specifically report on the adjustments received by public hospitals and public hospital corporations located in cities of the first class. (b) For admissions occurring on or after July 1, 1993, the medical assistance disproportionate population adjustment shall comply with federal law and shall be paid to a hospital, excluding regional treatment centers and facilities of the federal Indian Health Service, with a medical assistance inpatient utilization rate in excess of the arithmetic mean. The adjustment must be determined as follows: (1) for a hospital with a medical assistance inpatient utilization rate above the arithmetic mean for all hospitals excluding regional treatment centers and facilities of the federal Indian Health Service but less than or equal to one standard deviation above the mean, the adjustment must be determined by multiplying the total of the operating and property payment rates by the difference between the hospital's actual medical assistance inpatient utilization rate and the arithmetic mean for all hospitals excluding regional treatment centers and facilities of the federal Indian Health Service; (2) for a hospital with a medical assistance inpatient utilization rate above one standard deviation above the mean, the adjustment must be determined by multiplying the adjustment that would be determined under clause (1) for that hospital by 1.1. The commissioner may establish a separate disproportionate population operating payment rate adjustment under the general assistance medical care program. For purposes of this subdivision, medical assistance does not include general assistance medical care. The commissioner shall report annually on the number of hospitals likely to receive the adjustment authorized by this paragraph. The commissioner shall specifically report on the adjustments received by public hospitals and public hospital corporations located in cities of the first class; (3) for a hospital that had medical assistance fee-for-service payment volume during calendar year 1991 in excess of 13 percent of total medical assistance fee-for-service payment volume, a medical assistance disproportionate population adjustment shall be paid in addition to any other disproportionate payment due under this subdivision as follows: $1,515,000 due on the 15th of each month after noon, beginning July 15, 1995. For a hospital that had medical assistance fee-for-service payment volume during calendar year 1991 in excess of eight percent of total medical assistance fee-for-service payment volume and was the primary hospital affiliated with the University of Minnesota, a medical assistance disproportionate population adjustment shall be paid in addition to any other disproportionate payment due under this subdivision as follows: $505,000 due on the 15th of each month after noon, beginning July 15, 1995; and (4) effective August 1, 2005, the payments in paragraph (b), clause (3), shall be reduced to zero. (c) The commissioner shall adjust rates paid to a health maintenance organization under contract with the commissioner to reflect rate increases provided in paragraph (b), clauses (1) and (2), on a nondiscounted hospital-specific basis but shall not adjust those rates to reflect payments provided in clause (3). (d) If federal matching funds are not available for all adjustments under paragraph (b), the commissioner shall reduce payments under paragraph (b), clauses (1) and (2), on a pro rata basis so that all adjustments under paragraph (b) qualify for federal match. (e) For purposes of this subdivision, medical assistance does not include general assistance medical care. (f) For hospital services occurring on or after July 1, 2005, to June 30, 2007: (1) general assistance medical care expenditures for fee-for-service inpatient and outpatient hospital payments made by the department shall be considered Medicaid disproportionate share hospital payments, except as limited below: (i) only the portion of Minnesota's disproportionate share hospital allotment under section 1923(f) of the Social Security Act that is not spent on the disproportionate population adjustments in paragraph (b), clauses (1) and (2), may be used for general assistance medical care expenditures; (ii) only those general assistance medical care expenditures made to hospitals that qualify for disproportionate share payments under section 1923 of the Social Security Act and the Medicaid state plan may be considered disproportionate share hospital payments; (iii) only those general assistance medical care expenditures made to an individual hospital that would not cause the hospital to exceed its individual hospital limits under section 1923 of the Social Security Act may be considered; and (iv) general assistance medical care expenditures may be considered only to the extent of Minnesota's aggregate allotment under section 1923 of the Social Security Act. All hospitals and prepaid health plans participating in general assistance medical care must provide any necessary expenditure, cost, and revenue information required by the commissioner as necessary for purposes of obtaining federal Medicaid matching funds for general assistance medical care expenditures; and (2) certified public expenditures made by Hennepin County Medical Center shall be considered Medicaid disproportionate share hospital payments. Hennepin County and Hennepin County Medical Center shall report by June 15, 2007, on payments made beginning July 1, 2005, or another date specified by the commissioner, that may qualify for reimbursement under federal law. Based on these reports, the commissioner shall apply for federal matching funds. (g) Upon federal approval of the related state plan amendment, paragraph (f) is effective retroactively from July 1, 2005, or the earliest effective date approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Subd. 9a. Disproportionate population adjustments until July 1, 1993. For admissions occurring between January 1, 1993 and June 30, 1993, the adjustment under this subdivision shall be paid to a hospital, excluding regional treatment centers and facilities of the federal Indian Health Service, with a medical assistance inpatient utilization rate in excess of one standard deviation above the arithmetic mean. The adjustment must be determined by multiplying the total of the operating and property payment rates by the difference between the hospital's actual medical assistance inpatient utilization rate and the arithmetic mean for all hospitals excluding regional treatment centers and facilities of the federal Indian Health Service, and the result must be multiplied by 1.1. The provisions of this paragraph are effective only if federal matching funds are not available for all adjustments under this subdivision and it is necessary to implement ratable reductions under subdivision 9. Subd. 9b. Implementation of ratable reductions. Notwithstanding the provisions in subdivision 9, any ratable reductions required under that subdivision or subdivision 9a for fiscal year 1993 shall be implemented as follows: (1) no ratable reductions shall be applied to admissions occurring between October 1, 1992, and December 31, 1992; and (2) sufficient ratable reductions shall be taken from hospitals receiving a payment under subdivision 9a for admissions occurring between January 1, 1993, and June 30, 1993, to ensure that all state payments under subdivisions 9 and 9a during federal fiscal year 1993 qualify for federal match. Subd. 10. Separate billing by certified registered nurse anesthetists. Hospitals may exclude certified registered nurse anesthetist costs from the operating payment rate as allowed by section 256B.0625, subdivision 11 . To be eligible, a hospital must notify the commissioner in writing by October 1 of even-numbered years to exclude certified registered nurse anesthetist costs. The hospital must agree that all hospital claims for the cost and charges of certified registered nurse anesthetist services will not be included as part of the rates for inpatient services provided during the rate year. In this case, the operating payment rate shall be adjusted to exclude the cost of certified registered nurse anesthetist services. For admissions occurring on or after July 1, 1991, and until the expiration date of section 256.9695, subdivision 3 , services of certified registered nurse anesthetists provided on an inpatient basis may be paid as allowed by section 256B.0625, subdivision 11 , when the hospital's base year did not include the cost of these services. To be eligible, a hospital must notify the commissioner in writing by July 1, 1991, of the request and must comply with all other requirements of this subdivision. Subd. 11. Special rates. The commissioner may establish special rate-setting methodologies, including a per day operating and property payment system, for hospice, ventilator dependent, and other services on a hospital and recipient specific basis taking into consideration such variables as federal designation, program size, and admission from a medical assistance waiver or home care program. The data and rate calculation method shall conform to the requirements of subdivision 13, except that rates shall not be standardized by the case mix index or adjusted by relative values and hospice rates shall not exceed the amount allowed under federal law. Rates and payments established under this subdivision must meet the requirements of section 256.9685 , subdivisions 1 and 2. The cost and charges used to establish rates shall only reflect inpatient medical assistance covered services. Hospital and claims data that are used to establish rates under this subdivision shall not be used to establish payments or relative values under subdivisions 2, 2b, 2c, 3a, 4a, 5a, and 7 to 14. Subd. 12. Rehabilitation distinct parts. Units of hospitals that are recognized as rehabilitation distinct parts by the Medicare program shall have separate provider numbers under the medical assistance program for rate establishment and billing purposes only. These units shall also have operating and property payment rates and the disproportionate population adjustment, if allowed by federal law, established separately from other inpatient hospital services. The commissioner may establish separate relative values under subdivision 2 for rehabilitation hospitals and distinct parts as defined by the Medicare program. For individual hospitals that did not have separate medical assistance rehabilitation provider numbers or rehabilitation distinct parts in the base year, hospitals shall provide the information needed to separate rehabilitation distinct part cost and claims data from other inpatient service data. Subd. 13. Neonatal transfers. For admissions occurring on or after July 1, 1989, neonatal diagnostic category transfers shall have operating and property payment rates established at receiving hospitals which have neonatal intensive care units on a per day payment system that is based on the cost finding methods and allowable costs of the Medicare program during the base year. Other neonatal diagnostic category transfers shall have rates established according to subdivision 14. The rate per day for the neonatal service setting within the hospital shall be determined by dividing base year neonatal allowable costs by neonatal patient days. The operating payment rate portion of the rate shall be adjusted by the hospital cost index and the disproportionate population adjustment. For admissions occurring after the transition period specified in section 256.9695, subdivision 3 , the operating payment rate portion of the rate shall be standardized by the case mix index and adjusted by relative values. The cost and charges used to establish rates shall only reflect inpatient services covered by medical assistance. Hospital and claims data used to establish rates under this subdivision shall not be used to establish rates under subdivisions 2, 2b, 2c, 3a, 4a, 5a, and 7 to 14. Subd. 14. Transfers. Except as provided in subdivisions 11 and 13, operating and property payment rates for admissions that result in transfers and transfers shall be established on a per day payment system. The per day payment rate shall be the sum of the adjusted operating and property payment rates determined under this subdivision and subdivisions 2, 2b, 2c, 3a, 4a, 5a, and 7 to 12, divided by the arithmetic mean length of stay for the diagnostic category. Each admission that results in a transfer and each transfer is considered a separate admission to each hospital, and the total of the admission and transfer payments to each hospital must not exceed the total per admission payment that would otherwise be made to each hospital under this subdivision and subdivisions 2, 2b, 2c, 3a, 4a, 5a, and 7 to 13. Subd. 15. Routine service cost limitation; applicability. The computation of each hospital's payment rate and the relative values of the diagnostic categories are not subject to the routine service cost limitation imposed under the Medicare program. Subd. 16. Indian health service facilities. Facilities of the Indian health service and facilities operated by a tribe or tribal organization under funding authorized by title III of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, Public Law 93-638, or by United States Code, title 25, chapter 14, subchapter II, sections 450f to 450n, are exempt from the rate establishment methods required by this section and shall be paid according to the rate published by the United States assistant secretary for health under authority of United States Code, title 42, sections 248A and 248B. Subd. 17. Out-of-state hospitals in local trade areas. Out-of-state hospitals that are located within a Minnesota local trade area and that have more than 20 admissions in the base year shall have rates established using the same procedures and methods that apply to Minnesota hospitals. For this subdivision and subdivision 18, local trade area means a county contiguous to Minnesota and located in a metropolitan statistical area as determined by Medicare for October 1 prior to the most current rebased rate year. Hospitals that are not required by law to file information in a format necessary to establish rates shall have rates established based on the commissioner's estimates of the information. Relative values of the diagnostic categories shall not be redetermined under this subdivision until required by rule. Hospitals affected by this subdivision shall then be included in determining relative values. However, hospitals that have rates established based upon the commissioner's estimates of information shall not be included in determining relative values. This subdivision is effective for hospital fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 1988. A hospital shall provide the information necessary to establish rates under this subdivision at least 90 days before the start of the hospital's fiscal year. Subd. 18. Out-of-state hospitals outside local trade areas. Hospitals that are not located within Minnesota or a Minnesota local trade area shall have operating and property rates established at the average of statewide and local trade area rates or, at the commissioner's discretion, at an amount negotiated by the commissioner. Relative values shall not include data from hospitals that have rates established under this subdivision. Payments, including third-party and recipient liability, established under this subdivision may not exceed the charges on a claim specific basis for inpatient services that are covered by medical assistance. Subd. 19. Metabolic disorder testing of medical assistance recipients. Medical assistance inpatient payment rates must include the cost incurred by hospitals to pay the Department of Health for metabolic disorder testing of newborns who are medical assistance recipients, if the cost is not recognized by another payment source. Subd. 20. Increases in medical assistance inpatient payments; conditions. (a) Medical assistance inpatient payments shall increase 20 percent for inpatient hospital originally paid admissions, excluding Medicare crossovers, that occurred between July 1, 1988 and December 31, 1990, if: (1) the hospital had 100 or fewer Minnesota medical assistance annualized paid admissions, excluding Medicare crossovers, that were paid by March 1, 1988, for the period January 1, 1987 to June 30, 1987; (2) the hospital had 100 or fewer licensed beds on March 1, 1988; (3) the hospital is located in Minnesota; and (4) the hospital is not located in a city of the first class as defined in section 410.01 . For purposes of this paragraph, medical assistance does not include general assistance medical care. (b) Medical assistance inpatient payments shall increase 15 percent for inpatient hospital originally paid admissions, excluding Medicare crossovers, that occurred between July 1, 1988 and December 31, 1990, if: (1) the hospital had more than 100 but fewer than 250 Minnesota medical assistance annualized paid admissions, excluding Medicare crossovers, that were paid by March 1, 1988, for the period January 1, 1987 to June 30, 1987; (2) the hospital had 100 or fewer licensed beds on March 1, 1988; (3) the hospital is located in Minnesota; and (4) the hospital is not located in a city of the first class as defined in section 410.01 . For purposes of this paragraph, medical assistance does not include general assistance medical care. (c) Medical assistance inpatient payment rates shall increase 20 percent for inpatient hospital originally paid admissions, excluding Medicare crossovers, that occur on or after October 1, 1992, if: (1) the hospital had 100 or fewer Minnesota medical assistance annualized paid admissions, excluding Medicare crossovers, that were paid by March 1, 1988, for the period January 1, 1987 to June 30, 1987; (2) the hospital had 100 or fewer licensed beds on March 1, 1988; (3) the hospital is located in Minnesota; and (4) the hospital is not located in a city of the first class as defined in section 410.01 . For a hospital that qualifies for an adjustment under this paragraph and under subdivision 9 or 23, the hospital must be paid the adjustment under subdivisions 9 and 23, as applicable, plus any amount by which the adjustment under this paragraph exceeds the adjustment under those subdivisions. For this paragraph, medical assistance does not include general assistance medical care. (d) Medical assistance inpatient payment rates shall increase 15 percent for inpatient hospital originally paid admissions, excluding Medicare crossovers, that occur after September 30, 1992, if: (1) the hospital had more than 100 but fewer than 250 Minnesota medical assistance annualized paid admissions, excluding Medicare crossovers, that were paid by March 1, 1988, for the period January 1, 1987 to June 30, 1987; (2) the hospital had 100 or fewer licensed beds on March 1, 1988; (3) the hospital is located in Minnesota; and (4) the hospital is not located in a city of the first class as defined in section 410.01 . For a hospital that qualifies for an adjustment under this paragraph and under subdivision 9 or 23, the hospital must be paid the adjustment under subdivisions 9 and 23, as applicable, plus any amount by which the adjustment under this paragraph exceeds the adjustment under those subdivisions. For purposes of this paragraph, medical assistance does not include general assistance medical care. Subd. 21. Mental health or chemical dependency admissions; rates. Admissions under the general assistance medical care program occurring on or after July 1, 1990, and admissions under medical assistance, excluding general assistance medical care, occurring on or after July 1, 1990, and on or before September 30, 1992, that are classified to a diagnostic category of mental health or chemical dependency shall have rates established according to the methods of subdivision 14, except the per day rate shall be multiplied by a factor of 2, provided that the total of the per day rates shall not exceed the per admission rate. This methodology shall also apply when a hold or commitment is ordered by the court for the days that inpatient hospital services are medically necessary. Stays which are medically necessary for inpatient hospital services and covered by medical assistance shall not be billable to any other governmental entity. Medical necessity shall be determined under criteria established to meet the requirements of section 256B.04, subdivision 15 , or 256D.03, subdivision 7 , paragraph (b). Subd. 22. Hospital payment adjustment. For admissions occurring from January 1, 1993 until June 30, 1993, the commissioner shall adjust the medical assistance payment paid to a hospital, excluding regional treatment centers and facilities of the federal Indian Health Service, with a medical assistance inpatient utilization rate in excess of the arithmetic mean. The adjustment must be determined as follows: (1) for a hospital with a medical assistance inpatient utilization rate above the arithmetic mean for all hospitals excluding regional treatment centers and facilities of the federal Indian Health Service, the adjustment must be determined by multiplying the total of the operating and property payment rates by the difference between the hospital's actual medical assistance inpatient utilization rate and the arithmetic mean for all hospitals excluding regional treatment centers and facilities of the federal Indian Health Service; and (2) for a hospital with a medical assistance inpatient utilization rate above one standard deviation above the mean, the adjustment must be determined by multiplying the adjustment under clause (1) for that hospital by 1.1. Any payment under this clause must be reduced by the amount of any payment received under subdivision 9a. For purposes of this subdivision, medical assistance does not include general assistance medical care. This subdivision is effective only if federal matching funds are not available for all adjustments under this subdivision and it is necessary to implement ratable reductions under subdivision 9. Subd. 23. Hospital payment adjustment after June 30, 1993. (a) For admissions occurring after June 30, 1993, the commissioner shall adjust the medical assistance payment paid to a hospital, excluding regional treatment centers and facilities of the federal Indian Health Service, with a medical assistance inpatient utilization rate in excess of the arithmetic mean. The adjustment must be determined as follows: (1) for a hospital with a medical assistance inpatient utilization rate above the arithmetic mean for all hospitals excluding regional treatment centers and facilities of the federal Indian Health Service, the adjustment must be determined by multiplying the total of the operating and property payment rates by the difference between the hospital's actual medical assistance inpatient utilization rate and the arithmetic mean for all hospitals excluding regional treatment centers and facilities of the federal Indian Health Service; and (2) for a hospital with a medical assistance inpatient utilization rate above one standard deviation above the mean, the adjustment must be determined by multiplying the adjustment under clause (1) for that hospital by 1.1. (b) Any payment under this subdivision must be reduced by the amount of any payment received under subdivision 9, paragraph (b), clause (1) or (2). For purposes of this subdivision, medical assistance does not include general assistance medical care. (c) The commissioner shall adjust rates paid to a health maintenance organization under contract with the commissioner to reflect rate increases provided in this section. The adjustment must be made on a nondiscounted hospital-specific basis. Subd. 24. [Repealed, 1995 c 207 art 6 s 124 ] Subd. 25. Long-term hospital rates. For admissions occurring on or after April 1, 1995, a long-term hospital as designated by Medicare that does not have admissions in the base year shall have inpatient rates established at the average of other hospitals with the same designation. For subsequent rate-setting periods in which base years are updated, the hospital's base year shall be the first Medicare cost report filed with the long-term hospital designation and shall remain in effect until it falls within the same period as other hospitals. Subd. 26. Greater Minnesota payment adjustment after June 30, 2001. (a) For admissions occurring after June 30, 2001, the commissioner shall pay fee-for-service inpatient admissions for the diagnosis-related groups specified in paragraph (b) at hospitals located outside of the seven-county metropolitan area at the higher of: (1) the hospital's current payment rate for the diagnostic category to which the diagnosis-related group belongs, exclusive of disproportionate population adjustments received under subdivision 9 and hospital payment adjustments received under subdivision 23; or (2) 90 percent of the average payment rate for that diagnostic category for hospitals located within the seven-county metropolitan area, exclusive of disproportionate population adjustments received under subdivision 9 and hospital payment adjustments received under subdivisions 20 and 23. (b) The payment increases provided in paragraph (a) apply to the following diagnosis-related groups, as they fall within the diagnostic categories: (1) 370 cesarean section with complicating diagnosis; (2) 371 cesarean section without complicating diagnosis; (3) 372 vaginal delivery with complicating diagnosis; (4) 373 vaginal delivery without complicating diagnosis; (5) 386 extreme immaturity and respiratory distress syndrome, neonate; (6) 388 full-term neonates with other problems; (7) 390 prematurity without major problems; (8) 391 normal newborn; (9) 385 neonate, died or transferred to another acute care facility; (10) 425 acute adjustment reaction and psychosocial dysfunction; (11) 430 psychoses; (12) 431 childhood mental disorders; and (13) 164-167 appendectomy. Subd. 27. Quarterly payment adjustment. (a) In addition to any other payment under this section, the commissioner shall make the following payments effective July 1, 2007: (1) for a hospital located in Minnesota and not eligible for payments under subdivision 20, with a medical assistance inpatient utilization rate greater than 17.8 percent of total patient days as of the base year in effect on July 1, 2005, a payment equal to 13 percent of the total of the operating and property payment rates; (2) for a hospital located in Minnesota in a specified urban area outside of the seven-county metropolitan area and not eligible for payments under subdivision 20, with a medical assistance inpatient utilization rate less than or equal to 17.8 percent of total patient days as of the base year in effect on July 1, 2005, a payment equal to ten percent of the total of the operating and property payment rates. For purposes of this clause, the following cities are specified urban areas: Detroit Lakes, Rochester, Willmar, Alexandria, Austin, Cambridge, Brainerd, Hibbing, Mankato, Duluth, St. Cloud, Grand Rapids, Wyoming, Fergus Falls, Albert Lea, Winona, Virginia, Thief River Falls, and Wadena; (3) for a hospital located in Minnesota but not located in a specified urban area under clause (2), with a medical assistance inpatient utilization rate less than or equal to 17.8 percent of total patient days as of the base year in effect on July 1, 2005, a payment equal to four percent of the total of the operating and property payment rates. A hospital located in Woodbury and not in existence during the base year shall be reimbursed under this clause; and (4) in addition to any payments under clauses (1) to (3), for a hospital located in Minnesota and not eligible for payments under subdivision 20 with a medical assistance inpatient utilization rate of 17.9 percent of total patient days as of the base year in effect on July 1, 2005, a payment equal to eight percent of the total of the operating and property payment rates, and for a hospital located in Minnesota and not eligible for payments under subdivision 20 with a medical assistance inpatient utilization rate of 59.6 percent of total patient days as of the base year in effect on July 1, 2005, a payment equal to nine percent of the total of the operating and property payment rates. After making any ratable adjustments required under paragraph (b), the commissioner shall proportionately reduce payments under clauses (2) and (3) by an amount needed to make payments under this clause. (b) The state share of payments under paragraph (a) shall be equal to federal reimbursements to the commissioner to reimburse expenditures reported under section 256B.199, paragraphs (a) to (d) . The commissioner shall ratably reduce or increase payments under this subdivision in order to ensure that these payments equal the amount of reimbursement received by the commissioner under section 256B.199, paragraphs (a) to (d) , except that payments shall be ratably reduced by an amount equivalent to the state share of a four percent reduction in MinnesotaCare and medical assistance payments for inpatient hospital services. Effective July 1, 2009, the ratable reduction shall be equivalent to the state share of a three percent reduction in these payments. Effective for federal disproportionate share hospital funds earned on payments reported under section 256B.199 , paragraphs (a) to (d), for services rendered on or after April 1, 2010, payments shall not be made under this subdivision or subdivision 28. (c) The payments under paragraph (a) shall be paid quarterly based on each hospital's operating and property payments from the second previous quarter, beginning on July 15, 2007, or upon federal approval of federal reimbursements under section 256B.199, paragraphs (a) to (d) , whichever occurs later. (d) The commissioner shall not adjust rates paid to a prepaid health plan under contract with the commissioner to reflect payments provided in paragraph (a). (e) The commissioner shall maximize the use of available federal money for disproportionate share hospital payments and shall maximize payments to qualifying hospitals. In order to accomplish these purposes, the commissioner may, in consultation with the nonstate entities identified in section 256B.199, paragraphs (a) to (d) , adjust, on a pro rata basis if feasible, the amounts reported by nonstate entities under section 256B.199, paragraphs (a) to (d), when application for reimbursement is made to the federal government, and otherwise adjust the provisions of this subdivision. The commissioner shall utilize a settlement process based on finalized data to maximize revenue under section 256B.199, paragraphs (a) to (d), and payments under this section. (f) For purposes of this subdivision, medical assistance does not include general assistance medical care. Subd. 28. Temporary rate increase for qualifying hospitals. For the period from April 1, 2009, to September 30, 2010, for each hospital with a medical assistance utilization rate equal to or greater than 25 percent during the base year, the commissioner shall provide an equal percentage rate increase for each medical assistance admission. The commissioner shall estimate the percentage rate increase using as the state share of the increase the amount available under section 256B.199 , paragraph (d). The commissioner shall settle up payments to qualifying hospitals based on actual payments under that section and actual hospital admissions. Subd. 29. Reimbursement for the fee increase for the early hearing detection and intervention program. For admissions occurring on or after July 1, 2010, payment rates shall be adjusted to include the increase to the fee that is effective on July 1, 2010, for the early hearing detection and intervention program recipients under section 144.125, subdivision 1 , that is paid by the hospital for public program recipients. This payment increase shall be in effect until the increase is fully recognized in the base year cost under subdivision 2b. This payment shall be included in payments to contracted managed care organizations. Subd. 30. Payment rates for births. (a) For admissions occurring on or after October 1, 2009, the total operating and property payment rate, excluding disproportionate population adjustment, for the following diagnosis-related groups, as they fall within the diagnostic categories: (1) 371 cesarean section without complicating diagnosis; (2) 372 vaginal delivery with complicating diagnosis; and (3) 373 vaginal delivery without complicating diagnosis, shall be no greater than $3,528. (b) The rates described in this subdivision do not include newborn care. (c) Payments to managed care and county-based purchasing plans under section 256B.69 , 256B.692 , or 256L.12 shall be reduced for services provided on or after October 1, 2009, to reflect the adjustments in paragraph (a). (d) Prior authorization shall not be required before reimbursement is paid for a cesarean section delivery.