News

As we reported previously, DHS has informed LeadingAge MN that, due to some internal IT challenges, they will not publish Jan. 1, 2026 nursing home Medicaid rate notices during the month of December. Nursing homes need to provide a notice to their private pay residents before the rate increase is effective on Jan. 1, even if the amount of increase is not known.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has indefinitely suspended the Skilled Nursing Facility Off-Cycle Revalidation required by January 1, 2026. It is important to note that only the January 1 (“off-cycle”) compliance date has been suspended.

The LeadingAge Minnesota Foundation is excited to announce our Tenth Annual Silent Auction which will take place as part of the 2026 Institute. All proceeds from the Silent Auction go to the Gayle Kvenvold Commitment to Caregivers Fund to benefit dedicated caregivers throughout Minnesota.

The Low-Income Rental Classification (LIRC) program provides a reduced property tax class rate for qualifying rental housing and can lower property tax obligations.

In November, voters in Duluth, Minnesota approved a Right to Repair ballot initiative, granting tenants a right to repair certain defects in residential rental units when applicable requirements are met.

The MN Department of Revenue has recently reorganized their website content and added more training resources to help customers navigate the CRP system.

Members who provide HUD subsidized housing may have received a letter dated November 25, 2025 from HUD Secretary E. Scott Turner addressing the current administration’s guidance related to criminal background screenings for prospective tenants.

The ongoing federal government shutdown is now threatening key programs that help Minnesotans stay warm and support early childhood development. Funding delays for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) could leave up to 125,000 Minnesota households struggling to afford heating costs as winter approaches, while the Cold Weather Rule offers only partial protection—excluding many rural residents who rely on propane or fuel oil. At the same time, several Head Start programs across the state face the loss of federal funding, putting services for preschool children at risk.

The Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act has been reintroduced – A federal bill that proposes to recapture up to 40,000 previously authorized but unused immigrant visas—25,000 for nurses and 15,000 for physicians.

AscendRural, a program of Sourcewell, is inviting rural senior-serving nonprofits and government agencies to apply for their Senior Care Community Cohort — a guided pathway focused on identifying high-potential technology solutions that solve your organization’s most critical problems.

Operators of Independent Living Housing, we hope to see you on December 16 at 10 a.m. for our final Professional Networking Group of the year.

Thanks to an overwhelming response from our member providers across the state, the PockeTalk sign-up window is now closed. In just a short time, we received requests for more than 245 devices from over 95 members.

Large events that include exhibitors and overnight accommodations can unfortunately attract fraudulent activity, including unauthorized list selling and hotel room solicitations. We encourage you to exercise caution when responding to unsolicited emails or phone calls.

Whether you’re new to LeadingAge Minnesota or looking to make the most of your organization’s membership, we invite you to join our next New Member Orientation & Existing Member Refresh session on Wednesday, December 17 at 11 AM.

As we look ahead to the new year, we would like to remind members that 2026 membership renewal invoices were sent in November to the dues contact currently listed for each organization.