News

As communities across Minnesota respond to increased immigration enforcement activity and related events, many organizations are navigating heightened concern, questions, and uncertainty. To support members, LeadingAge Minnesota is sharing communication templates designed to help organizations respond thoughtfully and compassionately.

Applications to participate in this year's Leadership Academy are open through March 9. Leadership Academy is a nine-month, cohort-based program that delivers high-impact, mission-aligned leadership development for emerging and mid-level leaders in aging services. The 2026 program runs May through November. 

OnTrack Medication Aide (TMA) Training is now available. Launching today, Jan. 1, 2026, this new hybrid Medication Aide training program—approved by the Minnesota Department of Health—expands career pathways for caregivers and provides members with a flexible, statewide TMA training option.

OnTrack Medication Aide (TMA) Training launches January 1, 2026. Newly approved by the Minnesota Department of Health, this hybrid medication aide training program was developed in response to member requests for accessible, online training and expands career advancement opportunities for caregivers across the state.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services announced on Tuesday that they will implement a licensing pause for adult day settings starting Feb. 1, 2026.

LeadingAge Minnesota, alongside our Long-Term Care Imperative (LTCI) partner, continues to press state leaders for accountability after the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) failed to complete a critical step required to establish 2026 Medicaid nursing facility rates.

As we reported previously, DHS has 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. Nursing homes need to provide a notice to their private pay residents before the rate increase is effective on Jan. 1, even if the amount of increase is not known.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has indefinitely suspended the Skilled Nursing Facility Off-Cycle Revalidation required by January 1, 2026. It is important to note that only the January 1 (“off-cycle”) compliance date has been suspended.

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

Skilled nursing facilities can now access updated SNF Provider Preview Reports reflecting quality measure data that will be publicly reported in January 2026. Providers have until December 17, 2025, to review their data and request CMS corrections if needed.

Lawmakers continue to wrestle with the rollout and confusion of the Walz Administration’s order to pause Medicaid payments for 14 services (now technically 13 due to one of the services being discontinued entirely), pending an audit by Optum.

Following recent member discussions and questions about the upcoming Minnesota Paid Leave (MPL) law, we wanted to provide clarity about its relationship with the Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board (NHWSB) established minimum wages and how those NHWSB minimum wages may not necessarily be the minimum wages required to be paid for MPL compliance.

At the 2025 LeadingAge Annual Meeting in Boston, LeadingAge Minnesota was honored to share the stage with distinguished partners from Kenya and Minnesota to spotlight an emerging model of international collaboration in the aging services workforce.

Following recent LeadingAge Minnesota member webinars on the upcoming Minnesota Paid Family and Medical Leave (MPL) law, we received dozens of thoughtful and practical questions from providers.

On Oct. 28, the Walz Administration announced it would be using a new process for Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) to review claims for certain Medicaid benefits and services before they are paid.

A few months ago, LeadingAge Minnesota was contacted by a MinnPost reporter who was developing a series about the work of the Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board—with an initial focus on the Board’s forthcoming minimum wage rules and their anticipated impact on the long-term care sector.

LeadingAge recently emailed complimentary copies of the 2025 compensation reports for nursing facilities and senior housing providers to members who participated in those surveys.  Copies of those reports are now available for purchase by members who did not participate.

LeadingAge Minnesota members are taking action to prevent mechanical lift falls by pledging to implement the Safe Lift: STOP for Safety process. These organizations are leading the way in creating safer, more respectful resident transfer practices.

LeadingAge Minnesota is hosting two consecutive webinars on Tuesday, Oct. 14, from 1–3 p.m. to help providers prepare for the Jan. 1, 2026 implementation of Minnesota’s new Paid Leave laws. Sessions will provide practical details and strategic guidance on navigating the state’s complex web of leave requirements.