Section 1 (144E.001, subdivision 5h) adds a definition of community medical response emergency medical technician (CEMT) to the Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board chapter of law.

Section 2 (144E.275, subdivision 1) expands the definition of medical response unit to permit medical response units to provide CEMT services.

Section 3 (144.275, subdivision 7) Paragraph (a) specifies the prerequisites for an individual to be certified by the board as a community medical response emergency medical technician.  A CEMT must be a certified EMT or AEMT, have two years of service, be a member of a registered medical response unit, and successfully complete a CEMT training program.

Paragraph (b) requires a CEMT to practice under the supervision of the medical director of the CEMT’s medical response unit.

Paragraphs (c) and (d) specify the services a CEMT is permitted to provide.  These services include episodic individual patient and prevention education, but only if these services are within the CEMT skill set and directed by an appropriately developed patient care plan.

Paragraph (e) clarifies that CEMTs are not exempt from any of the regulatory requirements for EMTs or AEMTs.

Paragraph (f) further limits CEMT services by prohibiting most home care services.

Section 4, paragraphs (a) and (c) require that by January 15, 2016, the Commissioner of Human Services, in consultation with specified stakeholders, recommend to the legislature which CEMT services are to be covered under medical assistance and what the payment rate for those services is to be.

Paragraph b requires that any services to be covered under medical assistance must be ordered by a medical response unit medical director, must be part of appropriately developed patient care plan, and must be billed to medical assistance by a provider enrolled as a medical assistance provider.

In the event that legislation is enacted to cover CEMT services under medical assistance, Section 5 requires the Commissioner of Human Services to provide a report to the legislature on the cost, quality, and coordination of CEMT services.