249A.4  Duties of director.
  The director shall be responsible for the effective and impartial administration of this chapter and shall, in accordance with the standards and priorities established by this chapter, by applicable federal law, by the regulations and directives issued pursuant to federal law, by applicable court orders, and by the state plan approved in accordance with federal law, make rules, establish policies, and prescribe procedures to implement this chapter. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing delegation of authority, the director is hereby specifically empowered and directed to:
  1.  Determine the greatest amount, duration, and scope of assistance which may be provided, and the broadest range of eligible individuals to whom assistance may effectively be provided, under this chapter within the limitations of available funds. In so doing, the director shall at least every six months evaluate the scope of the program currently being provided under this chapter, project the probable cost of continuing a like program, and compare the probable cost with the remaining balance of the state appropriation made for payment of assistance under this chapter during the current appropriation period. After each evaluation of the scope of the program, the director shall report to the general assembly through the legislative council or in another manner as the general assembly may by resolution direct.
  2.  Reserved.
  3.  Have authority to provide for payment under this chapter of assistance rendered to any applicant prior to the date the application is filed.
  4.  Have authority to contract with any corporation authorized to engage in this state in insuring groups or individuals for all or part of the cost of medical, hospital, or other health care or with any corporation maintaining and operating a medical, hospital, or health service prepayment plan under the provisions of chapter 514 or with any health maintenance organization authorized to operate in this state, for any or all of the benefits to which any recipients are entitled under this chapter to be provided by such corporation or health maintenance organization on a prepaid individual or group basis.
  5.  May, to the extent possible, contract with a private organization or organizations whereby such organization will handle the processing of and the payment of claims for services rendered under the provisions of this chapter and under such rules and regulations as shall be promulgated by such department. The state department may give due consideration to the advantages of contracting with any organization which may be serving in Iowa as “intermediary” or “carrier” under Tit. XVIII of the federal Social Security Act, as amended.
  6.  Shall cooperate with any agency of the state or federal government in any manner as may be necessary to qualify for federal aid and assistance for medical assistance in conformity with the provisions of chapter 249, this chapter, and Tit. XVI and XIX of the federal Social Security Act, as amended.
  7.  Shall provide for the professional freedom of those licensed practitioners who determine the need for or provide medical care and services, and shall provide freedom of choice to recipients to select the provider of care and services, except when the recipient is eligible for participation in a health maintenance organization or prepaid health plan which limits provider selection and which is approved by the department.
  a.  However, this shall not limit the freedom of choice to recipients to select providers in instances where such provider services are eligible for reimbursement under the medical assistance program but are not provided under the health maintenance organization or under the prepaid health plan, or where the recipient has an already established program of specialized medical care with a particular provider. The department may also restrict the recipient’s selection of providers to control the individual recipient’s overuse of care and services, provided the department can document this overuse. The department shall promulgate rules for determining the overuse of services, including rights of appeal by the recipient.
  b.  Advanced registered nurse practitioners licensed pursuant to chapter 152 shall be regarded as approved providers of health care services, including primary care, for purposes of managed care or prepaid services contracts under the medical assistance program. This paragraph shall not be construed to expand the scope of practice of an advanced registered nurse practitioner pursuant to chapter 152.
  8.  Implement the premium assistance program options described under the federal Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009, Pub. L. No. 111-3, for the medical assistance program. The department may adopt rules as necessary to administer these options.
  9.  Adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A in determining the method and level of reimbursement for all medical and health services referred to in section 249A.2, subsection 1 or 7, after considering all of the following:
  a.  The promotion of efficient and cost-effective delivery of medical and health services.
  b.  Compliance with federal law and regulations.
  c.  The level of state and federal appropriations for medical assistance.
  d.  Reimbursement at a level as near as possible to actual costs and charges after priority is given to the considerations in paragraphs “a”, “b”, and “c”.
  10.  Shall provide an opportunity for a fair hearing before the department of inspections and appeals to an individual whose claim for medical assistance under this chapter is denied or is not acted upon with reasonable promptness. Upon completion of a hearing, the department of inspections and appeals shall issue a decision which is subject to review by the department of human services.
  11.  In determining the medical assistance eligibility of a pregnant woman, infant, or child under the federal Social Security Act, §  1902(l), resources which are used as tools of the trade shall not be considered.
  12.  Reserved.
  13.  In implementing subsection 9, relating to reimbursement for medical and health services under this chapter, when a selected out-of-state acute care hospital facility is involved, a contractual arrangement may be developed with the out-of-state facility that is in accordance with the requirements of Tit. XVIII and XIX of the federal Social Security Act. The contractual arrangement is not subject to other reimbursement standards, policies, and rate setting procedures required under this chapter.
  14.  A medical assistance copayment shall only be applied to those services and products specified in administrative rules of the department in effect on February 1, 1991, which under federal medical assistance requirements, are provided at the option of the state.
  15.  Establish appropriate reimbursement rates for community mental health centers that are accredited by the mental health and disability services commission.
  Judicial review of the decisions of the department of human services may be sought in accordance with chapter 17A. If a petition for judicial review is filed, the department of human services shall furnish the petitioner with a copy of the application and all supporting papers, a transcript of the testimony taken at the hearing, if any, and a copy of its decision.
[C62, 66, §249A.5, 249A.10; C71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §249A.4; 82 Acts, ch 1260, §121, 122]
83 Acts, ch 96, §157, 159; 83 Acts, ch 153, §12, 13; 83 Acts, ch 201, §13; 86 Acts, ch 1245, §2031; 89 Acts, ch 37, §1; 89 Acts, ch 104, §5; 89 Acts, ch 304, §203; 90 Acts, ch 1204, §61, 62; 90 Acts, ch 1223, §21; 90 Acts, ch 1256, §41; 90 Acts, ch 1264, §34; 91 Acts, ch 97, §32; 91 Acts, ch 158, §5; 92 Acts, ch 1229, §29, 30; 94 Acts, ch 1150, §1, 2; 97 Acts, ch 165, §1; 98 Acts, ch 1181, §4; 99 Acts, ch 96, §27; 2000 Acts, ch 1029, §1, 2; 2001 Acts, ch 24, §65, 74; 2001 Acts, ch 74, §17; 2003 Acts, ch 21, §1; 2004 Acts, ch 1090, §14; 2005 Acts, ch 120, §2; 2005 Acts, ch 167, §46, 66; 2009 Acts, ch 41, §243; 2009 Acts, ch 118, §18; 2010 Acts, ch 1031, §389