CCP 10-28-2002 - Laserfiche WebLink

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1 SD-29. Park and Library Land Tax Break (JO) 2 3 Issue: As the price for land increases, it is becoming more difficult for cities and other 4 local units of government to compete with developers to save and secure land and easements that 5 are deemed appropriate for park, library, trail, and green spaces. 6 7 Response: The state should amend the tax laws to provide tax incentives for 8 property owners who seUland and easements to local units of government when the land is 9 to be used for park, library, trail or green space purposes. 10 11 SD-30. Medicare Reimbursement for Ambulance Service (AF) 12 13 Issue: The Federal Balanced Budget Act (BBA) of 1997 made two significant changes 14 to ambulance billing. First, the act mandated that all ambulance services accept Medicare 15 assignments as payment in full; that is, ambulance services can no longer bill the Medicare 16 patient for any unpaid balance beyond the Medicare payment. Second, the act mandated a new 17 uniform fee schedule that was implemented in April 2002. The new fee schedule significantly 18 reduced reimbursement levels for many small and rural ambulance services. The BBA mandates 19 will have profound impacts on the ability of some Minnesota ambulance service providers to 20 fund their operations. 21 22 Response: The League supports federal legislation that would: 23 24 · Require Medicare to set ambulance payment rates at the "national average cost" of 25 providing service. 26 · Require adequate reimbursement for ambulance providers, especially rural providers, 27 that not only serve a higher percentage of Medicare patients but also incur higher per- 28 trip costs due to fewer transports and longer travel distances. 29 · Establish a "prudent layperson" standard for the payment of emergency ambulance 30 claims, such that if a reasonable person believed an emergency medical problem existed 31 when the ambulance was requested, then Medicare would pay the claim. 32 · Make it easier for providers to file claims with Medicare by eliminating a processing 33 system that often leads to legitimate reimbursement claims being rejected. 34 35 SD-31. Open Meeting Law Exception: Emergency Preparedness (RS) 36 37 Issue: The purpose of the Minnesota open meeting law is to provide transparency to the 38 operation and decision-making of government. While the law is of great value in providing open 39 government to the public, it has limited the ability for decision-makers to meet jointly to discuss 40 and advise staff on highly sensitive public safety vulnerabilities. 41 42 Response: The Legislature must make a limited exception to the open meeting law, 43 Minnesota Statute, Section 13D.05, to allow elected officials to convene a closed meeting 44 when emergency preparedness for public services, infrastructure, and facilities are 45 discussed. 46 34 . . .