Advocacy Update: LTC Professionals Sound Off to Spur Action

Posted on May 5, 2022 by Libbie Chapuran

LeadingAge Minnesota members have been lifting their voices in support of caregivers and the seniors they serve to advocate for higher wages and access to care for Minnesota’s seniors.

A conference committee for the Health and Human Services Omnibus bill has begun, and lawmakers are starting their negotiations for a compromise that will combine the two bills into one that Gov. Walz will sign into law.

As you may recall, the Senate makes significant investments in nursing home rates in their bill, but the House does not. Elderly Waiver rate increases are included in both the House and the Senate versions but to differing degrees. We favor the Senate version, and our advocacy keeps pressure on leaders to invest in seniors and their caregivers this session.

Our advocacy has never been more critical. The Legislature cannot go home without an agreement to pass permanent funding increases for nursing homes and Elderly Waiver services.

Response to Action Alerts

On Monday, May 9, in conjunction with our partner in the Long-Term Care Imperative, LeadingAge Minnesota members participated in a statewide call-in day to Gov. Tim Walz. We are proud to share that 90 people called Gov. Walz on Monday through our advocacy platform alone. That doesn't include those who called from our partner organization in the Long-Term Care Imperative.

If you didn't make a call, it's not too late! Visit our action alert or simply dial 651-370-8632.

Your advocacy this session has been unprecedented. Since the beginning of the year, we have made 6,314 connections at the Capitol. That doesn't include in-person contacts like meetings or site visits. This number far exceeds any other year since we began tracking, and the session isn't over yet.

Letters to the Editor and Op-Eds

Over the past few weeks, we have been working with family and professional caregivers and leaders in the field to help them share their voices in local media all around the state. Check out the op-eds and letters to the editor that have been placed so far:

• May 4, Fairmont LTE: State Legislature: Help needed for seniors in our community
• May 4, Edina LTE: To legislators, support professional caregivers
• May 3, Duluth Op-Ed: Long-term senior care needs legislator attention
• April 30, Mankato LTE: Wages should reflect importance of caregivers
• April 28, Fargo LTE: Senior caregivers need a living wage
• April 27, Winona Op-Ed: Urgent legislative action needed to support seniors and caregivers
• April 28, SW News Media LTE: Raise wages of caregivers
• April 21, SW News Media LTE: Our seniors deserve nothing less

In the final weeks of the session, it is almost certain we will call on you again to ask that you reach out to your lawmakers and tell others about the serious issues facing aging services providers. Your advocacy will get us across the finish line with funding in the bill. We will continue to make the case that doing nothing for aging services is not an option. They must take action now!