News

The Department of Human Services (DHS) will hold quarterly webinars for anyone interested in the Disability Waiver Rate System (DWRS). This webinar series will replace and expand the work formerly done by the DWRS Advisory Committee. The webinars will be held on the State TrainLink platform. Instructions to register for the webinars are on the DHS website.

Around the state, LeadingAge Minnesota members have been lifting their voices and sharing their stories in the media to advance our goal of supporting seniors and their caregivers through legislative action.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) is starting to share the preliminary resident quality of life results from the current round of surveys.  Care centers can visit the DHS Provider Portal, click the Resident Quality of Life Ratings tab, and finally, the 2022 Observed Quality of Life Scores link.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) released a revised long-term care (LTC) emergency preparedness toolkit on Monday.  At the height of the pandemic, this toolkit was used by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) as an example highlighting the collaborative work between providers, regulators, emergency preparedness experts, etc. to better prepare all long-term care settings for potential emergencies.

Day at the Capitol 2023 is just a few weeks away on March 13. Whether attending or not, you can make your voice heard at the capitol by participating in our letter-writing campaign.

The 2023 Minnesota Department of Human Services Nursing Facility Performance-Based Incentive Payment Program (PIPP) Request for Proposals (RFP) information is now available.

Each year, the state calculates the average salary of RNs, LPNs, CNAs, and TMAs in care centers using the data from the annual cost reports. Then the state computes the statutory caps on the amount Supplemental Nursing Services Agencies (SNSAs) can charge per hour for each type of staff. The new caps, effective Jan. 1, show significant increases due to staffing cost increases during the pandemic. 

Temporary nurse aides have until Aug. 5 to be placed on the Minnesota Nursing Assistant Registry, four months after the waiver expires on Apr. 5. 

Providers enrolled or seeking enrollment with the State Department of Human Services (DHS) as home and community-based service providers, including waiver-paid customized living or adult day services, must include evidence of two specific trainings.

LeadingAge Minnesota, with our partners in the Long-Term Care Imperative, conducted a statewide public opinion poll to support our legislative agenda in 2023. The poll results affirm and refine the key messages we use and help us target supporters who advocated alongside us throughout the legislative session.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) recently reminded assisted living providers to customize all pre-written sample policies to avoid correction orders.

Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCP) sent revalidation notices at the end of December to Home and Community-Based Services (provider type 18 organizations starting with letters S and T).

The current round of applications for nursing facility moratorium exceptions has closed. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) recently informed LeadingAge Minnesota that six care centers submitted proposals for this round. A review committee will hear the proposals in February, and the MDH commissioner will announce the approved projects by April 6.

The Minnesota Department of Health is mailing a combination of COVID-19/Flu A&B rapid test kits to all skilled nursing facilities in the state. Kits should be arriving in the next 2-3 weeks.

LeadingAge Minnesota has developed a new resource for members to help clarify the complex and often confusing infectious illness reporting requirements for our nursing home and assisted living members.

We have revised the Assisted Living Emergency Relocation Notice template to include additional information on appeals and to clarify who needs to receive the notice.

Use our new interactive map to find a NextGeneration Nursing Assistant Training Program (NGNA) or the "NextGen" training program near you. The map includes the contact information for each training program to help you get connected with NextGen students.

The Department of Human Services (DHS) will send Provider Revalidation notices to HCBS providers with names beginning with S and T at the end of December. Affected settings provide waiver services in home and community-based settings, including Adult Day Services and Assisted Living (Customized Living).

The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) at the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has created a series of guides to help service providers understand types of hearing loss and possible accommodations:

This week, Erin Huppert, Vice President of Advocacy for LeadingAge Minnesota, testified before the Senate Human Services Committee. This informational hearing – no votes or official action could be taken – featured the outgoing chair, Sen. Jim Abeler, and incoming chair, Sen. John Hoffman. The lawmakers spotlighted workforce challenges impacting disability services, long-term care, and non-emergency medical transportation.