News

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) is contracting with Navigant Consulting for a review of the rates and availability of transportation services for Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waiver clients. That study has two works groups advising DHS and Navigant, one looking at rates and one looking at access.  

The Minnesota Department of Health has posted the recording and transcript of its July 16 statewide regulatory conference call for care centers.  

Effective July 1, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Home Care and Assisted Living Program discontinued mailing paper copies of license survey results to providers and began emailing the results to the agent on record with MDH. 

Registration is now open for the 43^rd Annual Minnesota Health Care Engineers Association (MHCEA) Fall Education Seminar and Vendor Show. 

In keeping with the Minnesota State Transition Plan to comply with the Home and Community-Based Services Settings (HCBS) Rule, the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) has added a person’s evaluation of services and compliance with HCBS Standards to the MN Choices Tool. The questions are to be completed at the next reassessment visit on or after Aug. 1, 2018. 

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) issued a form that can be used by case managers to modify rights for individuals requiring a modification of the rights enumerated in the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) standards for provider “owned or controlled settings.” 

As the Baby Boom Generation continues to age and rely more on the network of supports for older adults, the University of Minnesota recently reaffirmed its commitment to its high-quality Long-Term Care Administration courses. 

The Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) last week released an audit on the Medical Assistance eligibility process for seniors and those under age 65 with a disability. The audit found that DHS and the counties who implement the eligibility process “generally complied” with legal requirements for determining eligibility. Specific findings and recommendations include: 

As we have covered previously, the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) is conducting numerous studies this summer that are related to reports it is required to submit to the 2019 Legislature. In addition to a study Elderly Waiver rates and of Adult Day Services, DHS is also reviewing rates and availability of transportation services for Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waiver clients.  

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is seeking proposals for the Minnesota Health Information Exchange (HIE) Grant Program. The program provides financial assistance to Minnesota health care providers to encourage implementation of admission, discharge and transfer alerts and care summary document exchange transactions. 

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) is well underway with conducting site visits to Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) providers who are “presumed not to be HCBS settings.” As some of these site visits have now been completed, we are able to provide information on what happens once DHS completes its visit. 

While the legislative session did not result in the clarifications to the Home Care Law that we had worked on with the Minnesota Department of Health, the HomeCare Association and the Long-Term Care Imperative, a minor change was made to the law regarding life-sustaining treatment.  

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) has contracted with Navigant Consulting, the company that is also conducting studies on Elderly Waiver rates and the role of Adult Day services, to conduct a study of transportation access for home and community-based service enrollees, including both the elderly and disabled populations.  

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) has updated and extended the Return to Community initiative.

This is a final reminder for care centers that your QIIP goal for the rate year beginning Jan. 1, 2020 is due June 30. 

Managers of Senior Housing and Housing with Services Establishments are often in the position to determine what is considered beyond normal wear and tear when an apartment is vacated, and what will be recovered from a damage deposit. 

The 2017 Minnesota Legislature authorized a 2.61 percent rate increase for home delivered meals for the Alternative Care (AC), Elderly Waiver (EW), and Essential Community Supports (ECS) programs for services delivered on or after July 1, 2018.  

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) recently announced the inaugural list of organizations honored for their demonstrated commitment to antibiotic stewardship. Congratulations to the following LeadingAge Minnesota members who were recognized for their efforts on this important topic: 

Applications for the next round of Live Well at Home Grants are due June 29. These grants help communities meet the challenges of our fast-growing aging population and pressures on Minnesota's aging services and support system. 

The Minnesota Department of Labor & Industry (DLI) announced that Minnesota OSHA has adopted the federal regulation requiring employees to electronically submit injury and illness data that they already record. All Minnesota employers with 20 or more employees are required to electronically submit their data to federal OSHA by July 1.