News

Legislators need to hear directly from long-term care providers and Day at the Capitol is your opportunity to make that happen.

On January 28, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued Quality, Safety, and Oversight memo QSO-26-01, revising the criteria used to select nursing homes for the Special Focus Facility (SFF) program. This update carries meaningful implications for all member facilities, and we want to make sure you understand what changed and what steps you should be taking now.

The 2025 Legislature created a new rate exception program under Elderly Waiver (EW) to help hospitals discharge high need residents to assisted living and other EW settings. The new program allows for rates that would otherwise exceed the EW budget caps.

As UCARE goes through the dissolution process, we are monitoring the court orders and their impact on payments to providers.

Minnesota’s Assisted Living Report Card is designed to help consumers make informed decisions when choosing an assisted living community. The online tool provides quality ratings for individual assisted living settings across several key categories, including resident quality of life, family satisfaction, resident health, safety, and staffing.

As previously reported, Adult Day Services have been identified by the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) as one of thirteen provider categories considered high risk for fraud. This designation brings significant regulatory implications and makes proactive preparation essential for current providers.

For years, skilled nursing facilities have told their quality story primarily through the MDS. If it wasn’t coded on the assessment, it often didn’t exist in the eyes of CMS quality measures. That framework is now changing—decisively.

As the January 30 funding deadline for Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations nears, we are monitoring federal agency activities and potential impact on providers to help members navigate a government shutdown, should one come to pass.

On January 23, 2026, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) posted a press release directing federally-assisted housing providers to immediately “audit” tenant eligibility based on immigration status.

Are you looking for additional funding this year to expand the great work you’re already doing? LeadingAge Minnesota’s Grant Grid is a practical, at-a-glance tool designed to help aging service providers quickly identify funding opportunities that align with their program and strategic goals.

The Food Code Compliance Toolkit was developed to support assisted living facilities in meeting—and exceeding—Minnesota food code requirements.

We’re excited to announce the launch of our new five-part, documentary-style video series designed to both welcome and support New Americans exploring careers in Minnesota’s aging services workforce.

A longtime LeadingAge Minnesota member organization is celebrating a milestone year as its founder receives statewide recognition for leadership in aging services and health care. Dr. Mary Tjosvold, founder and CEO of The Mary T Family of Companies, is being honored by three Minnesota business publications as the organization marks its 50th anniversary in 2026. Congratulations, Mary T and companies!

Benedictine has welcomed Mother of Mercy Senior Living, 230 Church Avenue, Albany, Minn., to its family of senior living communities.

Schwickert’s Tecta America, a trusted leader in the roofing & mechanical services industries, proudly celebrates its 120th anniversary this year. This marks more than a century of commitment to the customer, delivering quality work, and impacting local communities.