News

Join the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry on May 12 from 9 a.m. to noon for a free webinar training event about creating a more diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce through employment-based training.

This week, lawmakers began passing budget bills off the House and Senate floors. This step establishes starting positions for the House, Senate and Governor as they enter negotiations to reach a final budget deal by May 17. Here is what you need to know about what is happening at the Capitol:

DHS Disability Services Division (DSD) now hosts monthly office hours for providers serving individuals eligible for disability waivers.

In 2019, the Minnesota Legislature authorized DHS to streamline services and simplify the service menu for people who access services through Minnesota’s disability waiver programs:

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) has selected IDEMIA Identity & Security USA LLC (IDEMIA) as the new vendor to provide statewide fingerprint and photo services for background studies submitted to DHS. IDEMIA was selected through a competitive bid process with cost, quality and reliability of service locations considered in proposal evaluations.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has selected Martha Burton Santibáñez to be the Director of the Health Regulation Division (HRD). The HRD includes various programs affecting aging services providers, including Case Mix Review, Engineering Services, the Office of Health Facility Complaints, Health Occupations, Home Care & Assisted Living, and Licensing & Certification. Prior to assuming the Director position, Ms. Burton Santibáñez served four years as an Assistant Division Director.

In a letter to Customized Living providers dated April 1, DHS updated their previous guidance from February 2021. Providers need to consider and act on the following instructions that apply to their setting. Of particular concern is the intention of DHS to suspend payment for Customized Living services to a provider who has not provided evidence of either their AL License or their exemption. LeadingAge Minnesota is working to resolve issues that could arise if applications have been submitted but licenses are not yet available by Aug. 1.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), Office of Rural Health and Primary Care has confirmed that the Licensed Assisted Living Director (LALD) training program is eligible for funding through the Home and Community Based Scholarship Grant Program. Apply today!

2019 legislation authorized the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) to develop a pilot project to reduce overall energy consumption in care centers and provide rate adjustments for providers implementing Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) projects. PACE projects are clean energy projects paid off through a financing mechanism that uses a special assessment. The commissioner will select projects from qualifying proposals via a competitive application process. The application and associated materials are at the top of the DHS Nursing Facility Provider Portal. Proposals are due June 1.

The Minnesota Department of Health has scheduled two calls regarding assisted living licensure for providers on April 8 and April 29 from 10 to 11:30 a.m.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), Office of Rural Health and Primary Care has confirmed that the Licensed Assisted Living Director (LALD) training program is eligible for funding through the Home and Community Based Scholarship Grant Program. Apply today!

The application deadline has been extended to April 6 at 11:59 p.m. Find the HCBS Scholarship Program details, application, and forms on the MDH website. Grants will run for 24 months, starting on July 1, 2021 and ending June 30, 2023.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) recently provided helpful responses to several questions posed by a group of stakeholders regarding assisted living licensure.

MDH convened a group of stakeholders, including LeadingAge Minnesota and many of our legal business partner members, to address legal questions related to licensure of assisted living settings. MDH recently provided answers in writing to many of the questions posed by the group. The responses from MDH offer helpful information to providers in preparing for their applications for licensure:

The Minnesota Senate Human Services Reform Finance and Policy Committee last week approved a bill that proposes a long-term solution to challenges with the fingerprinting and background study process in Minnesota. Senate File 1257, authored by Sen. Michelle Benson (R-Ham Lake), tackles the issue  of fingerprinting capacity by authorizing the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) to contract with up to three fingerprinting providers, rather than a single vendor.

The Minnesota Department of Health, Office of Rural Health and Primary Care, is soliciting grant proposals from providers of adult day care, home care, and housing with services to provide educational scholarships for their employees. MDH staff who oversee the scholarship program will be offering a webinar on March 17 at 2 p.m. to provide guidance on the application process and program management.

MDH has convened a group of stakeholders to discuss processes and concerns that may arise related to a need for a resident to relocate due to the upcoming assisted living licensure implementation. The Department anticipates that, in some situations, a current provider may decide to discontinue services rather than pursue licensure, and that some providers may close.

Governor Walz reported on Tuesday that Minnesota has nearly vaccinated 70% of its seniors, weeks ahead of the original deadline of April. In light of this progress, Walz announced that Minnesota will soon transition to Phase Two of vaccine distribution that prioritizes those that are chronically-ill and that qualify as essential workers. Here is what you need to know about what’s happening at the Capitol:

The Minnesota Department of Health will host two webinars on assisted living licensure in upcoming days.

First, on March 4 from 10-11:30 a.m., MDH will host a presentation regarding assisted living licensure in relation to customized living providers. Presentation materials will after the call at Assisted Living Fact Sheets.

Join us on March 17 at 2 p.m. for an open discussion on the application process for licensing as an Assisted Living Director (LALD). To accommodate a Minnesota Department of Health webinar on assisted living licensure on March 18 from 10 - 11:30 a.m., we moved the LALD Coaching Room from its original date and time.

The Minnesota Department of Health, Office of Rural Health and Primary Care, is soliciting grant proposals from providers of adult day care, home care, and housing with services to provide educational scholarships for their employees. You can find the HCBS Scholarship Program details, application, and forms on the MDH website.

The Minnesota Department of Health Case Mix Review team released information on updated documentation requirements when isolation is coded on the MDS under O0100M. This updated information will be effective for all MDS’ with an assessment reference date (ARD) on or after Friday, March 5. In order to correctly code O0100M, Isolation on the MDS, case mix review auditors will check for required documentation in the resident’s medical record. This required documentation includes:

On Feb. 18, DHS sent a communication to all enrolled customized living providers about new assisted living facility licensure requirements and how they affect providers’ ability to provide customized living services. The communication was sent to each provider’s MN-ITS.