News

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. 

Want to learn how e-Health can build healthier communities? Register for the Minnesota e-Health Summit: Act Today, Impact Tomorrow taking place on June 14 in Brooklyn Center. 

In case you did not take note of these resources when initially shared in Advantage, the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) has issued a Provider’s Guide to Putting the HCBS Rule into Practice. The Guide may be helpful to you if the audit of your setting resulted in a need to submit additional supporting documentation regarding your compliance with the HCBS Settings Rule. 

The annual re-calculation of the Housing Support, formerly Group Residential Housing (GRH), rate that covers rent and raw food for eligible participants resulted in an increase of $11 per month. The new rate of $904 will be effective July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019.  

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) has reported significant progress and improvement in the investigation of reports of elder abuse and maltreatment. 

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) recently prepared the data needed 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 up to $3.50 per resident day. 

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) is surveying providers of personal care assistance, home health services, and home and community-based services to learn more about existing use of electronic visit verification (EVV) in Minnesota. 

Clostridium difficile (C. diff) causes almost half a million infections yearly, with more than 100,000 occurring among residents in long-term care. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has developed a new toolkit to help prevent and manage C. diff infection in long-term care. 

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) has published the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the next round of Live Well at Home Grants. These grants help communities meet the challenges of our fast-growing aging population and pressures on Minnesota's long-term care support system.