News

The LeadingAge Minnesota QUEST Report is now available for Q1 2025.

The fourteenth edition of the Really Big Book of Nursing Home Regulations is finally here and ready to go! It is now available for order.

Several new state laws go into effect on Aug. 1, 2025 that will impact aging services. As a reminder, many of these changes will require additional guidance from our state agency partners, so continue to look to LeadingAge MN for resources, expert support and operational counsel.

The Minnesota Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board (NHWSB) has established training requirements for nursing home employers under the Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board Act. All nursing home workers must complete at least one hour of training every two years on their workplace rights, provided by a Certified Worker Organization (CWO). This requirement takes effect January 1, 2025, with full compliance required by December 31, 2026.

As shared in last week’s Advantage, there are still several unknowns for how the federal budget bill, also known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill”, will impact older adults and the services they need. Minnesota budget officials estimate that the law will result in nearly $500 million in annual losses to our Medicaid program. Most of those reductions will not take effect until Jan. 1, 2027, or later, and will be subject to future state action by the Minnesota Legislature.

The passage of the federal "One Big Beautiful Bill" (OBBB) introduces substantial reforms to Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act premium tax credits, focusing on cost containment, program integrity, and greater state flexibility.

Join LeadingAge Minnesota staff for an important webinar on the new Certified Worker Organization (CWO) training requirements for nursing facilities. We'll review the key employer responsibilities under the Minnesota Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board Act, including timelines, compliance documentation, and employee training logistics.

On July 14, 2025, the Nursing Home Survey & Certification functionality will launch in iQIES—just one month prior to the PBJ submission deadline. This rollout is expected to result in a substantial influx of new users, potentially leading to longer hold times.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a formal alert warning Medicare providers of a new phishing scheme involving fraudulent fax requests. Scammers are impersonating CMS and sending deceptive faxes that request medical records and documentation under the guise of an audit. These communications are crafted to appear official and can easily mislead busy healthcare providers into disclosing sensitive patient or organizational information.

On June 17, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued memo QSO-25-19-ALL, introducing a significant shift in how and when survey findings are publicly released for all CMS-certified providers and suppliers, including nursing homes. Under the updated policy, survey results recorded on Form CMS-2567 will be made available to the public within 14 calendar days of receipt by the provider—and, in many cases, immediately upon receipt.

LeadingAge Minnesota is pleased to present its 2025 legislative report. More than a summary, this report is designed to help you lead with insight and intention. It provides a clear-eyed look at the session’s outcomes and a summary of the decisions that will directly impact your organizations and the people you serve.

The annual selection for the Quality Improvement Incentive Payment Program (QIIP) for nursing homes is due by July 18^th. The selection for this year has been delayed by technical issues at DHS, but they are now ready to accept QIIP selections through a new process.

The State of Minnesota recently announced that staff from the Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) will be accompanying Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) surveyors during certain licensing surveys.

As reports of a measles outbreak linked to the Mall of America emerge, it serves as a timely reminder for nursing homes and assisted living facilities to revisit their infection control policies and ensure staff preparedness.

State legislative leaders have finalized the Human Services Budget Bill at the Capitol. As previously shared with members, the agreement includes several disappointing provisions.

A New Americans Resource Map is now available on the LeadingAge Minnesota website! This interactive map of Minnesota’s community organizations, resources, and support is a new tool designed to connect your staff with resources and support that they need outside of work, and to subsequently strengthen our long-term care workforce.

LeadingAge Minnesota recently completed an updated version of our Sector Trends Report, which you can now access on our website.

LeadingAge Minnesota received an increasing volume of inquiries over the past several months regarding the ongoing COVID-19 requirements in both nursing homes and assisted living communities. In response, LeadingAge Minnesota has updated its materials to encompass a broader respiratory illness framework that includes both COVID-19 and seasonal influenza.

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.