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MDH recently notified nursing homes that submitted proposals in the current moratorium exceptions round of their approval status. All five proposals were approved, representing a total annual state cost of just under $1.1 million.

As a reminder, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) maintains several very useful and informative websites for nursing home providers. 

Late last week, CMS released the annual proposed PPS rule. That rule, which will be adopted in final form around Aug. 1, implements annual rate updates and other Medicare policy changes impacting SNFs. This year’s rule proposes a 2.4% increase in SNF rates effective Oct. 1, reflecting relatively low inflation. Wage index values also update on that date, meaning the actual rate increase will vary from the inflation increase. 

As the demands on aging services professionals continue to grow, access to timely, practical education is more important than ever. LeadingAge Minnesota is offering two valuable virtual learning opportunities this spring designed to support both frontline clinical teams and organizational leaders navigating policy changes.

LeadingAge Minnesota members Continuum Therapy Partners and St. Francis Health Services of Morris have announced a new partnership that will expand therapy services and strengthen care delivery across Minnesota.

Chris Knoll, a LeadingAge Minnesota member and CEO of Minnewaska Community Health Services, has secured the Republican endorsement for Minnesota Senate District 21. The endorsement was announced following the district convention, where party delegates selected Knoll as their preferred candidate to succeed retiring Senator Bill Weber. 

In a response to concerns about possible increases in eviction filings related to Operation Metro Surge, the St. Paul City Council recently approved a temporary 60-day pre-eviction filing notice ordinance on a unanimous 7-0 vote.

We’re hearing from providers across Minnesota about a shared challenge: strong, committed nursing assistant (CNAs) learners who struggle—not because they can’t do the work, but because training materials don’t fully support how they learn. That’s why OnTrack has expanded support for multilingual learners in CNA programs.

Falls with Major Injury (FMI) has long been one of the most closely watched quality measures in long-term care. It directly affects public reporting, survey scrutiny, and Five-Star Quality Ratings. However, a major shift is underway in how this measure is calculated.

Each year, The Long-Term Care Imperative conducts a Workforce and Financial Conditions survey to gauge key metrics for the aging services sector.

A new resource is now available to support the aging services workforce: the Multilingual Audio Glossary of Aging Services Language.

Developed with funding from the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) GEAR division, this tool helps staff learn and understand key vocabulary used in aging services settings.

Members have asked practical questions about how to respond if immigration enforcement activity occurs near their communities. LeadingAge Minnesota has expanded its guidance with new FAQs and an updated resource page, bringing all tools together in one place.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) bases its median family income estimates on data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS). In November, the Census Bureau announced a delay in its release of ACS data.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released updates to the State Operations Manual on January 30, 2026. The new changes are effective March 30, 2026. Updates were made to Chapter 5, which outlines complaint investigations and processes, and Chapter 7, which relates to the long-term care survey process.

Finding the right talent is critical — and LeadingAge Minnesota members have an exclusive opportunity to save while recruiting. Members can post open positions on AgingServicesJobs.org, the premier job board for aging services employers, at a significantly reduced rate.

The Duluth Tenants Union, an advocacy group representing renters in Duluth, have signaled their potential efforts to introduce a ballot initiative allowing for rent control caps in the city of Duluth. This same group successfully led a ballot initiative in 2025 for the Right to Repair ordinance, which is now in effect.  

The LeadingAge Minnesota Foundation has developed a new five-part video series designed to help member providers recruit and onboard talent from Minnesota’s immigrant and refugee communities.

To help more learners succeed in CNA training, OnTrack Nursing Assistant now offers translated learner materials in Spanish, Somali, and Hmong — designed to strengthen comprehension and confidence.

The Addressing “Med Not Available” Medication Errors Resource was developed by a work group of the LeadingAge Minnesota Quality Committee to support members in building systematic, effective processes to both prevent and respond to medications not being available to administer to residents.

Yesterday, CMS at the White House announced that they would be withholding $259 million in federal funds for Minnesota due to “unsupported or potentially fraudulent Medicaid claims.” The amount was based on a review of claims from the fourth quarter of 2025.

Recently, we announced that registration was open for our Operations Certificate Program. As we look ahead to our April 1 start date, we want to share more about what participants can expect and why this program comes at the right time for our members.

For years, skilled nursing facilities have told their quality story primarily through the MDS. If it wasn’t coded on the assessment, it often didn’t exist in the eyes of CMS quality measures. That framework is now changing—decisively.

On January 28, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued Quality, Safety, and Oversight memo QSO-26-01, revising the criteria used to select nursing homes for the Special Focus Facility (SFF) program. This update carries meaningful implications for all member facilities, and we want to make sure you understand what changed and what steps you should be taking now.

The 2025 Legislature created a new rate exception program under Elderly Waiver (EW) to help hospitals discharge high need residents to assisted living and other EW settings. The new program allows for rates that would otherwise exceed the EW budget caps.

A longtime LeadingAge Minnesota member organization is celebrating a milestone year as its founder receives statewide recognition for leadership in aging services and health care. Dr. Mary Tjosvold, founder and CEO of The Mary T Family of Companies, is being honored by three Minnesota business publications as the organization marks its 50th anniversary in 2026. Congratulations, Mary T and companies!

On February 10, 2026, LeadingAge Minnesota proudly honored the very best of aging services at our annual Stars Among Us Awards Banquet. For more than 35 years, our Stars Among Us Awards have recognized the individuals and organizations whose leadership, compassion, innovation, and dedication elevate the lives of older adults across Minnesota.

Beginning April 1, this 10-day interactive program is designed specifically for administrators, site leaders, and operational staff in assisted living and care center communities to build essential knowledge and practical skills to manage operations effectively. 

Benedictine has welcomed Mother of Mercy Senior Living, 230 Church Avenue, Albany, Minn., to its family of senior living communities.

Adult Day Services providers have an important revalidation step to complete in 2026. Last month, high-risk providers, including Adult Day Services, were informed they must complete an off-cycle revalidation by May 31, 2026.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has published a final rule updating its civil monetary penalty (CMP) amounts to reflect inflation, under the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015. This change ensures that penalties retain their deterrent effect by adjusting them annually based on changes in the Consumer Price Index.