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Pandemic frontline workers will begin to see $487.45 in one-time bonuses from the State of Minnesota this week. Applicants who chose direct deposit of their payment should see it in their accounts in seven to ten days. People who choose to be mailed a prepaid debit card should receive them in three to four weeks.

An announcement from MDH of a new assisted living license requirement has caused some confusion among providers who have just completed their first AL license renewal. The new provision applies to AL licenses renewed beginning August 1, 2022 and requires evidence showing that at least one resident was served during the previous licensing period to the renewal process.

DHS announced in August that they had opened the selection process for all care centers in the Medical Assistance program to select a new goal to work on for another round of the Quality Improvement Incentive Payment Program (QIIP). Each year, based on their progress toward the goal they select, care centers receive a rate increase of $0 to $3.50 per resident day for QIIP. 

The revalidation process has begun for providers enrolled with DHS as a Home and Community Based Service (HCBS) provider which includes waiver services for Adult Day Services, Assisted Living (Customized Living), as well as Home Health Agencies.

Beginning Oct. 3, Nurse Aide Registry candidates will have up to four chances to pass the knowledge exam until March 2023.

Nurse aides hired or who worked during the 1135 waiver have until Oct. 6 to be placed on the Minnesota Nursing Assistant Registry.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has announced that nurse aide registry candidates will have up to two hours for the knowledge exam beginning Oct. 3.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) has several openings for Minnesota Medicaid-Certified Nursing Facilities interested in participating in an online Dementia Care staff training program.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) will extend the time limit for the nursing assistant state knowledge exam from one hour back to two hours in response to feedback from nurse aide training programs around the state.

According to the Department of Human Services, a net total of 13 adult day programs closed from 2021 to the midpoint of this year. The availability of adult day services as our state ages is increasingly essential to promote quality of life and health.

LeadingAge Minnesota members, in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), are helping expand nursing assistant testing opportunities throughout Minnesota by piloting in-facility testing in their settings.

If your assisted living setting satisfies the 24-hour staffing rule by utilizing staff from another licensed setting, you must request a variance from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) to remain in compliance with assisted living requirements.

The information available from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Quality, Certification and Oversight Reports (QCOR) database shows that the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has completed 127 nursing facility recertification surveys during the federal fiscal year-to-date. There is some lag time in survey data entry, so the actual current total of surveys conducted is somewhat higher. Here's a sampling of the data:

The Health Regulation Division (HRD) at the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) recently released two brief videos to help assisted living providers understand regulatory expectations and prepare for their next survey.

DHS recently released the application form for the Elderly Waiver Customized Living (EWCL) Disproportionate Share Program for 2023. 2022 is the second year of the program, which provides a floor rate of $119 per resident day for their EWCL clients in 2023. The Legislature made some changes to the program that start this year, including:

Though the Minnesota Legislature adjourned this year with unfinished business, including a failure to provide funding for wage increases for aging services caregivers, a small number of bills were signed into law.

Current assisted living licenses expire on July 31. Beginning Monday, Aug. 1, assisted living facilities operating without a license will be fined $250 per day.

Earlier this week, the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) released a survey to get input on their Waiver Reimagine effort. Waiver Reimagine is designed to combine the current four disability waivers into two. Under Waiver Reimagine, the current waivers, based on the type of disability, would be replaced with waivers based on the type of service received (living independently vs. residential).

One of the final bills to clear the Legislature in May contained a little-debated provision with potentially significant implications. Beginning on Friday, July 1, Minnesotans aged 21 and older can purchase liquids and consumable goods containing small amounts of cannabidiols (CBD) and/or THC. THC is the ingredient in cannabis that produces a “high.”

Testing residents and staff for COVID-19 became a standard throughout the pandemic, and guidance frequently changed, which gives way to uncertainty on current guidance and recommendations for testing requirements, test interpretation, and test procurement.