News

This week, lawmakers are starting to reconcile the differences in significant budget bills passed off the House and Senate floors in conference committees. Conference committees mark one of the final steps in the budget-making process before the bills are sent to the Governor for his approval. We expect our most important issues to be debated in conference committees in the upcoming days.

This week, lawmakers are debating the Health and Human Services (HHS) omnibus budget bills on the House and Senate floor. The proposals contain most of the policy priorities affecting the senior services sector. Here is what you need to know about each version of the bills and what the next few weeks ahead look like as we approach the end of the legislative session:

The LeadingAge Minnesota and our partner in the Long-Term Care Imperative recently completed analysis of care center occupancy in 2020, which showed a historic drop due to the pandemic. While providers wait to see what happens with occupancy going forward, they do have a couple of options to address that issue.

Governor Tim Walz has signed Chapter 12, HF 2253, into law, extending presumptive workers’ compensation eligibility for emergency first responders and front-line workers.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), through the Nursing Facility Rates and Policy (NFRP) Division and the State Civil Monetary Penalties (CMP) Initiative, is seeking proposals from qualified Minnesota Medicaid-Certified Nursing Facilities that are interested in implementing a Dementia Live Training Program.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) has posted materials related to applying for the Performance Incentive Payment Projects (PIPP) program on the nursing facility provider portal (see the links posted about halfway down the main page). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, DHS has adjusted the timeline for PIPP this year. PIPP proposals are due to DHS by July 1, and DHS indicates that it will still work to complete the contracting process and start rate increases by Jan.1, 2022.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has filed a response to modify the Proposed Rules Governing Assisted Living Facilities, requesting that the judge review and approve the rule in its entirety with its suggested modifications.

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.