Now Authorized: Alternative Adult Day Services

Posted on May 4, 2020 by Roni Falck

Alternative Adult Day Services received federal approval last week. The Minnesota Department of Human Services has released Bulletin 20-25-01 to provide guidance on Alternative Adult Day Services. These services include:  

• Wellness checks and health-related services, including medication set-up and administration overseen by a nurse
• Socialization/companionship
• Activities
• Meals, delivered to the person’s home
• Assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), including bathing
• Individual support to family caregivers.

The bulletin reviews how and where services can be delivered. Please note the varying rate information dependent on the client’s waiver:

• Elderly Waiver (EW), Alternative Care (AC) and Essential Community Supports (ECS): There is no change to the rate for providers who deliver alternative adult day services. Providers should submit claims for the number of units of service delivered to each person using existing codes and rates. 
• Disability Waivers: Lead agencies will use the existing RMS framework for adult day to authorize the unit of service (daily or 15-minute). The lead agency will use the same procedure code and service name in the MnCHOICES Support Plan as it would have before COVID-19. For annual service agreement renewals, all service rates must be recalculated. If a person received adult day services before COVID-19 and now will be receiving the alternative service model, the lead agency does not need to recalculate the rate if there are no changes in the relevant RMS input fields.

Providers are limited to delivering no more than four hours/day of alternative adult day services to people in the above programs. There are no minimum service delivery requirements. 

Important: No new service recipients are eligible for alternative adult day services.  Alternative Adult Day Service recipients are available for existing clients only. However, this does not apply to any new private pay service recipients.

Providers must notify DHS of their intent to offer Alternative Adult Day Services. 

The Bulletin also outlines modified service requirements related to:

• documentation of service attendance and delivery;
• center directors,
• service planning;
• staffing requirements;
• first aid and CPR;
• health and safety practices; and
• physical plant requirements.

As additional guidance becomes available, we will be sure to share it.