At the Capitol: Minnesota Senate Hears Long-Term Care Relief Bills

Posted on February 17, 2022 by Matt Steele

This week, the Minnesota Senate discussed two bills aimed at helping to resolve the workforce crisis in long-term care. The proposals contain funding for the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), hiring and retention bonuses, education and training grants, temporary regulatory changes for retired and out-of-state nurses to practice, modification of training requirements in long-term care settings, and a correction program for sites to work with MDH on technical issues.

While we are grateful for the one-time and temporary relief these bills provide, permanent wage increases must be a part of the solution to remedy the workforce crisis. Without bold long-term solutions, like investments in Medicaid rates, the over 23,000 open caregiver positions will only increase, and senior care will continue to experience a workforce crisis without sustainable relief.  

Temporary Policy and Funding Relief Aimed at Recruitment and Retention

SF 2786 (Housley) contains money to help retain, hire, and train long-term caregivers. The bill includes $206 million for long-term care retention bonuses, $30 million for signing bonuses, and $30 million for education and training grants. The temporary grant program allows eligible employers to give up to $1,000 retention bonuses and $1500 hiring bonuses to eligible employees. The educational grants cover the allowable costs of education, training, and loan forgiveness for existing or newly hired employees. The Senate Human Services Finance and Policy Reform Committee passed this bill and referred it to its next stop in the Senate Finance.

Another bill – SF 2740 (Abeler) –contains several policy provisions aimed at broadening the current pool of eligible caregivers and creating a mechanism to work with MDH on any technical issues without fear of reprisal. The bill permits the Board of Nursing to issue permits to allow previously licensed nurses to temporarily practice nursing in a nursing home or assisted living, creates a temporary expedited pathway to allow unlicensed personnel working in assisted living facilities to become more quickly trained to provide direct care and support, and creates an official mechanism for nursing facilities facing acute staffing shortages to request technical assistance from the Department of Health without fear that requesting such assistance will trigger a licensing action against the facility. The Senate Health and Human Services Finance and Policy Committee heard this bill and recommended it be passed onto the Senate floor.

Much-Appreciated Legislation, but Focus Must Be on Permanent Solutions

The movement on these two bills just over two weeks into the legislative session indicates lawmakers are beginning to understand that they must respond to the workforce crisis. During each of the hearings, lawmakers acknowledged that the state needed to provide relief to long-term care and that, without help, our workforce crisis would have catastrophic consequences. There is an opportunity to continue to show them what solutions are needed to help serve seniors today and into the future as Minnesota continues to age.

We appreciate the quick and early action on the legislative front. However, both bills lack systematic changes to solve the workforce crisis in long-term care. At this time, we will continue to advocate for permanent solutions through increased Medicaid rates that will allow providers to raise caregiver wages, recruit new people into the field, and retain the dedicated caregivers who have served Minnesota's seniors throughout the pandemic.

What’s Ahead

The outset of the legislative session will mainly consist of committee hearings and individual meetings with lawmakers as bills get drafted and introduced. In a recent change of protocol, both the Senate and House will be taking on a hybrid approach to conducting legislative business, with the House returning to in-person work on March 21.

Additionally, we are now officially a month and a half away from LeadingAge Minnesota’s annual Day at the Capitol! The advocacy day will be April 5 and includes opportunities to virtually meet with your colleagues, connect with experts from the field, and make your voice known in meetings with your lawmakers. Click here to register and see a detailed agenda for this year's largest advocacy event. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to Matt Steele, Director of Government Affairs at LeadingAge Minnesota.

Each week during the legislative session, follow Advantage for regular updates about what’s happening at the Capitol.