M.S.A. §256B.0751

Health care homes

Standards must be in place for the establishment of health care homes for state health programs.  The standards used should be comparable to existing national standards surrounding medical home organizations.  They must emphasize primary care physicians, nurses and physician’s assistants.  The focus of the health care homes is to be on delivering high quality, efficient care.  The health care homes must be patient centered and allow for participation by the patient and his or her family in making health care related decisions.  The patient centered concept also includes appropriate care given the patient’s race, ethnicity and primary language.  The health care home must develop comprehensive health plans for the patients and focus on patients who have or are at risk of developing chronic conditions.  The health care home must incorporate measures of quality, resource use, cost effectiveness and patient experience.  The health care home must also ensure the use of health information technology in providing care. 

A personal clinician or primary care clinic can be certified as a health care home if it meets all of the requirements set by the Commissioner of Human Services.  In order to maintain a valid certification, the entity must renew annually.  Clinicians or clinics that are certified as health care homes must offer all of their services to interested patients with complex or chronic health conditions and must participate in the health care home collaborative.  The health care collaborative is a way for all health care homes and state agencies to exchange information about quality improvement and best practices. 

Related Laws:  M.S.A. §256B.0752