LTC Imperative Urges Lawmakers to Address Urgent Assisted Living Issues

Posted on May 5, 2021 by Kari Thurlow

Even as assisted living licensure applications opened last week and state legislators entered their final weeks of the legislative session, there continue to be substantive and technical issues with the assisted living licensure law, jeopardizing the access to needed assisted living services for Minnesota seniors. 

To ensure the smooth, timely implementation of this law, LeadingAge Minnesota and the LTC Imperative urged lawmakers to take action before the end of the regular legislative session to address critical issues including:

1. Address the outdoor space issue for assisted living with dementia care providers—ensure that this physical space requirement applies to new providers and does not create a barrier to existing providers.
2. Authorize that Elderly Waiver can pay for assisted living services and ensure that assisted living license applicants can seamlessly enroll in provider enrollment with DHS
3. Address the potential time delays for background checks for licensed assisted living directors.

Some, but not all, of these issues are included in the House HHS Budget and Policy Omnibus bill, and we remain hopeful legislators will resolve them before adjournment. A key question is whether other stakeholder organizations will attempt to leverage these issues to gain support for other controversial provisions, such as a change in the assisted living definition.

We stated that if the legislature cannot address these issues in the regular legislative session, we would request an extension of the June 1, 2021 application deadline and the Aug. 1 effective date until a time when these issues are addressed. 

Legislators must address our concerns in the Omnibus Health and Human Services Budget and Policy Conference Committee, and we will continue to provide updates on our discussions with lawmakers.