Subdivision 1. Rate adjustments for compensation-related costs. (a) Rate increases provided under this section before October 1, 2016, expire effective January 1, 2018, and rate increases provided on or after October 1, 2016, expire effective January 1, 2019.

(b) Nursing facilities that receive approval of the applications in subdivision 2 must receive rate adjustments according to subdivision 4. The rate adjustments must be used to pay compensation costs for nursing facility employees paid less than $14 per hour.

Subd. 2. Application process. To receive a rate adjustment, nursing facilities must submit applications to the commissioner in a form and manner determined by the commissioner. The applications for the rate adjustments shall include specified data, and spending plans that describe how the funds from the rate adjustments will be allocated for compensation to employees paid less than $14 per hour. The applications must be submitted within three months of the effective date of any operating payment rate adjustment under this section. The commissioner may request any additional information needed to determine the rate adjustment within three weeks of receiving a complete application. The nursing facility must provide any additional information requested by the commissioner within six months of the effective date of any operating payment rate adjustment under this section. The commissioner may waive the deadlines in this section under extraordinary circumstances.

Subd. 3. Additional application requirements for facilities with employees represented by an exclusive bargaining representative. For nursing facilities in which employees are represented by an exclusive bargaining representative, the commissioner shall approve the applications submitted under subdivision 2 only upon receipt of a letter or letters of acceptance of the spending plans in regard to members of the bargaining unit, signed by the exclusive bargaining agent and dated after May 31, 2014. Upon receipt of the letter or letters of acceptance, the commissioner shall deem all requirements of this section as having been met in regard to the members of the bargaining unit.

Subd. 4. Determination of the rate adjustments for compensation-related costs. Based on the application in subdivision 2, the commissioner shall calculate the allowable annualized compensation costs by adding the totals of clauses (1), (2), and (3). The result must be divided by the standardized or resident days from the most recently available cost report to determine per day amounts, which must be included in the operating portion of the total payment rate and allocated to direct care or other operating as determined by the commissioner:

(1) the sum of the difference between $9.50 and any hourly wage rate less than $9.50 for October 1, 2016; and between the indexed value of the minimum wage, as defined in section 177.24, subdivision 1, paragraph (f), and any hourly wage less than that indexed value for rate years beginning on and after October 1, 2017; multiplied by the number of compensated hours at that wage rate;

(2) using wages and hours in effect during the first three months of calendar year 2014, beginning with the first pay period beginning on or after January 1, 2014; 22.2 percent of the sum of items (i) to (viii) for October 1, 2016;

(i) for all compensated hours from $8 to $8.49 per hour, the number of compensated hours is multiplied by $0.13;

(ii) for all compensated hours from $8.50 to $8.99 per hour, the number of compensated hours is multiplied by $0.25;

(iii) for all compensated hours from $9 to $9.49 per hour, the number of compensated hours is multiplied by $0.38;

(iv) for all compensated hours from $9.50 to $10.49 per hour, the number of compensated hours is multiplied by $0.50;

(v) for all compensated hours from $10.50 to $10.99 per hour, the number of compensated hours is multiplied by $0.40;

(vi) for all compensated hours from $11 to $11.49 per hour, the number of compensated hours is multiplied by $0.30;

(vii) for all compensated hours from $11.50 to $11.99 per hour, the number of compensated hours is multiplied by $0.20; and

(viii) for all compensated hours from $12 to $13 per hour, the number of compensated hours is multiplied by $0.10; and

(3) the sum of the employer's share of FICA taxes, Medicare taxes, state and federal unemployment taxes, workers' compensation, pensions, and contributions to employee retirement accounts attributable to the amounts in clauses (1) and (2).

History: 2016 c 99 art 1 s 36; 1Sp2017 c 6 art 3 s 46