News

The federal government is moving to end certain temporary immigration statuses, impacting compassionate caregivers in the aging services workforce.

On May 11, the House Energy and Commerce Committee released legislation aimed at fulfilling budget reconciliation requirements, following the House's adoption of a broader budget resolution in April. The Committee’s proposal includes sweeping policy changes to reduce federal spending by $916 billion over the next decade, with the majority of cuts targeting Medicaid.

Legislative leaders and Governor Walz announced this morning that they’ve reached a preliminary budget agreement, with details still being ironed out. As lawmakers shift their attention from policy to omnibus budget bills, LeadingAge Minnesota and our Imperative partner will continue to closely track impacts on aging services. As we learn more, we will share more detailed information on budget bills over the next several days.

The Center for Dementia Respite Innovation (CDRI), funded by the Administration for Community Living (ACL) under the direction of Dr. Sam Fazio at the Alzheimer’s Association, has issued a Request for Applications (RFA).

In 2024, over 1,000 OnTrack nursing assistants attempted the state exam to be placed on the Minnesota Nurse Aide Registry. OnTrack learners’ pass rates continue to surpass the state average.

This week, lawmakers took significant steps on funding and policy for human services. On Monday, the House of Representatives heard HF2434, the Human Services Finance Omnibus Bill as well as HF2115, the Human Services Policy Omnibus Bill.

The LeadingAge Minnesota QUEST Report is now available for fourth quarter 2024. This quarterly analytic resource for association members focuses on key trends in the senior care sector.

The Minnesota Senate’s Human Services budget includes devastating cuts to nursing home funding—on top of $200 million in unfunded mandates already imposed by the Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board, which the Senate position does not fund up-front.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) uses the MN–ITS PRVLTR Mailbox as a primary method for communicating important updates.

Recent survey trends have revealed a notable uptick in deficiencies tied to the identification of resident changes in condition and the timely completion of follow-up comprehensive assessments.

In a shorter-than-usual State of the State address, Gov. Tim Walz cast Minnesota as a national model of bipartisan cooperation and progressive achievement. He emphasized the state’s leadership in education, labor rights, health care access and economic growth.

Too often, the loudest voices in senior care focus on challenges and shortcomings. But across Minnesota, providers are demonstrating excellence, innovation, and high performance. Our new series, Quality in Action, aims to spotlight these success stories—highlighting senior care organizations that are achieving exceptional results through their commitment to quality and safety.

The Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) has been accepting grant request applications for its workplace Ergonomic Safety Grant Program since summer 2023. To date, 75 of 79 awarded grants have been provided to nursing home applicants with several more requests due to be awarded soon.

During a roundtable on Tuesday, April 15, Governor Tim Walz said: “If you think we’re in a crisis now, especially for seniors living in rural Minnesota, cut Medicaid and find out what happens. There’s no way the state of Minnesota can come close to back filing what’s lost.”

On April 7, 2025, U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk (TX) ruled in favor of the American Health Care Association, LeadingAge, and four nursing homes, finding that CMS exceeded its authority by imposing a federal minimum staffing mandate on nursing homes.

This week, LeadingAge Minnesota members headed to our nation’s Capital to advocate on behalf of aging services providers and the seniors we serve.

This week, lawmakers worked long hours to construct budget bills that direct spending and cuts over the next two years.

Data submission for Quarter 1, 2025 is now open through April 30 in the LeadingAge Minnesota Data Portal. Take advantage of this opportunity to track your operational performance over time and benchmark your data against others at the state, regional and other comparison groups, such as groups with similar capacity and services.

Late last week, the House and Senate released budget targets with significant differences. The House proposes $1.1B in cuts this biennium, compared to $754M from the Senate. Those gaps widen in FY2028–29: $2.6B vs. $1.7B, respectively.

OnTrack’s impact is broadening its reach beyond Minnesota. As healthcare employers embrace international recruitment to address workforce shortages, OnTrack International is preparing international candidates before they arrive in Minnesota.