News

Today, Minnesota officials released its fall economic forecast, which will inform state lawmakers’ priorities in 2026. 

DHS recently informed LeadingAge MN that, due to some internal IT challenges, they will not publish Jan. 1, 2026, nursing home Medicaid rate notices during the month of December. They do not have an estimated date at this point, but they are working to complete them by sometime in early 2026.

An interim final rule repealing the nursing home minimum staffing standards was released to the Federal Register on December 2. It is important to note that the interim final rule does not repeal the entire rule that was finalized in April 2024.

The MN Department of Revenue has recently reorganized their website content and added more training resources to help customers navigate the CRP system.

Federal enforcement activities in Minnesota have intensified following national directives expanding expedited removal and activating multi-agency Homeland Security task forces.

The Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Employee Scholarship and Loan Forgiveness application is open until Dec. 12, 2025.

Members who provide HUD subsidized housing may have received a letter dated November 25, 2025 from HUD Secretary E. Scott Turner addressing the current administration’s guidance related to criminal background screenings for prospective tenants.

The ongoing federal government shutdown is now threatening key programs that help Minnesotans stay warm and support early childhood development. Funding delays for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) could leave up to 125,000 Minnesota households struggling to afford heating costs as winter approaches, while the Cold Weather Rule offers only partial protection—excluding many rural residents who rely on propane or fuel oil. At the same time, several Head Start programs across the state face the loss of federal funding, putting services for preschool children at risk.

The Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act has been reintroduced – A federal bill that proposes to recapture up to 40,000 previously authorized but unused immigrant visas—25,000 for nurses and 15,000 for physicians.

The LeadingAge Minnesota Foundation is excited to offer up to 143 PockeTalk translation devices—at no cost—to member providers. These devices support New Americans with limited English proficiency who are working in long-term care roles by improving language access in real time.

We are proud to celebrate the recent graduation of LeadingAge Minnesota’s 2025 Leadership Academy cohort, marking a significant milestone in our organization’s commitment to developing strong, values-driven leaders across the aging services field.

Effective governance is the foundation of a strong organization. Your board and leadership team each play vital roles in supporting sustainability, advancing your mission, and ensuring that high-quality care remains central to your work.

When Benedictine faced persistent staffing shortages in its rural North Dakota locations, it found an unexpected but powerful partner: Cherokee Federal.

Congratulations to Perham Health/Elevate for winning the 2025 Minnesota Rural Health Team Award. This award, presented by the Minnesota Department of Health, recognizes dedicated health care organizations that have made significant contributions to the health and wellbeing of their rural communities. It's presented just in time for honoring Rural Health Day, which is today, Thursday, November 20. 

Consonus Pharmacy is proud to announce that Jessica Androff, PharmD, BCGP, President of Pharmacy, has been named President-Elect of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP).