81-3140. Health Care Homes for the Medically Underserved Fund; distribution; use.

(1)(a) The purpose of the Health Care Homes for the Medically Underserved Fund is to enhance the ability of Nebraska's federally qualified health centers to provide patient-centered medical homes to low-income medically underserved populations. Twenty-five percent of the state portion of medicaid fraud settlement funds deposited into the Medicaid Fraud Settlement Fund in the Department of Health and Human Services annually shall be transferred to the Health Care Homes for the Medically Underserved Fund for distribution to federally qualified health centers in Nebraska. Such funds shall be distributed proportionately based on the unduplicated number of patients served in the previous year by such federally qualified health centers as reported through the uniform data system of the Health Resources and Services Administration of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

(b) Five percent of the state portion of the medicaid fraud settlement funds deposited into the Medicaid Fraud Settlement Fund in the Department of Health and Human Services annually shall be transferred to the Health Care Homes for the Medically Underserved Fund for distribution to federally qualified health centers in Nebraska. Such funds shall be used for persons receiving services under section 330(h) or 330(i) of the federal Public Health Service Act, 42 U.S.C. 254b, as such section existed on January 1, 2016.

(2) Funds distributed pursuant to subsection (1) of this section shall be used for the following purposes:

(a) Hiring, training, certifying, and maintaining staff dedicated to patient-centered chronic disease management, including, but not limited to, case managers, health educators, social workers, outreach and enrollment workers, and community health workers;

(b) Providing services, including, but not limited to, interpreter services, transportation services, and social work assistance;

(c) Capital improvements, including, but not limited to, facility expansion, leasing additional space, and furnishing, equipment, or redesign of facilities to support patient-centered care;

(d) Medication management, including, but not limited to, clinical pharmacy services, pharmacists, clinical pharmacists, technology for monitoring and real-time notification, and care managers;

(e) Information technology, including, but not limited to, telehealth services, analytics tools, patient registries, and updates to electronic health records systems; and

(f) Reimbursement to health care providers, including, but not limited to, physicians, nurse practitioners, dieticians, diabetic educators, behavioral health providers, and oral health providers.

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