News

Vaccination Mandate Ends and Other Information from CMS

On May 4, 2023 by Kari Everson

On May 1, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published QSO-23-13-ALL. The document provides nursing homes with an update regarding the end of the public health emergency (PHE) and how it impacts regulatory blanket waivers and interim final rules (IFR).

Waiver and Medical Assistance Financial Eligibility Renewals at the End of PHE Continuous Coverage Period

On April 13, 2023 by Bobbie Guidry

On April 7, the Minnesota Department of Human Services released Bulletin #23-21-08: DHS Announces Key MHCP Eligibility Policies during the Unwinding Period (PDF), which announces timelines for restarting Medical Assistance renewals after Public Health Emergency continuous coverage requirements end. These timelines also apply to reassessments for waiver and AC programs, including financial eligibility redeterminations for the AC program.

Need to Certify Temporary Nurse Aides? OnTrack Can Help

On March 16, 2023 by Anna Mowry

Temporary nurse aides who worked under the 1135 CMS waiver have until Aug. 5 to be placed on the Nursing Assistant Registry. OnTrack Nursing Assistant Training is here to help providers with this transition process.

PHE Ending – What it means for Nursing Homes

On February 23, 2023 by Mark Schulz

Yesterday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) held its routine National Nursing Home Stakeholder Call. During this call, CMS staff reiterated several vital facts about the end of the Public Health Emergency (PHE).

Public Health Emergency Extended

On January 12, 2023 by Mark Schulz

The Public Health Emergency (PHE), first declared in Jan. 2020 and extended continually for 90-day periods since then, has been extended for another 90 days until April 11. 

CMS Announces End Dates for Various COVID Waivers, Including Nurse Aide Certification

On April 7, 2022 by Jonathan Lips

In a Memorandum released on April 7, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it will terminate several temporary emergency declaration blanket waivers that have provided nursing facilities and other provider types with flexibilities designed to support the COVID response.

Bill Authorizing Agency Waivers and Emergency Staffing Pool is Headed to the Governor

On March 24, 2022 by Jonathan Lips

This week the Minnesota House of Representatives and Senate approved passage of Senate File 2876, granting certain temporary waiver authorities to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), and authorizing DHS to invest $1 million in an emergency staffing pool.

HCBS Provider Enrollment Forms Updated

On December 23, 2021 by Bobbie Guidry

Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCP) has updated many of the home and community-based provider (HCBS) enrollment forms.

Apply to Join the Waiver Reimagine Advisory Committee

On September 23, 2021 by Roni Falck

Through Oct. 31, 2021, DHS is accepting applications from people to join the new Waiver Reimagine Advisory Committee (WRAC). The committee will provide input about the implementation of Waiver Reimagine and help develop the program during virtual meetings held every other month. 

Aug. 30 Marks Expiration of Many MDH COVID Waivers

On September 1, 2021 by Jonathan Lips

When Minnesota's Peacetime Emergency ended on July 1, it started a sixty-day countdown to the expiration of most Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) COVID-19 waivers or modifications of state laws or regulations. 

Tracking the Status of Key COVID Waivers

On July 28, 2021 by Jonathan Lips

With Minnesota's COVID-19 Peacetime Emergency ending July 1, a question on members' minds is what waivers are still in place and for how long.

Public Health Emergency Renewed by HHS

On July 21, 2021 by Jonathan Lips

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services extended the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) for another 90 days through Oct. 18. With this extension, the 1135 federal blanket waivers issued by CMS will continue unless it decides to terminate one or more of the waivers before that date.

MDH Confirms Continuation of Nursing Assistant Training and Competency Waiver

On July 14, 2021 by Jonathan Lips

With the end of Minnesota’s Peacetime Emergency, our team has been closely tracking how the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) will manage the transition from various COVID-19 related waivers. Last Friday, we received the welcome news that a Minnesota statute addressing nursing assistant training and competency will continue to be waived, so long as CMS continues to waive the related federal requirement.

Private Room Waiver Ending

On July 7, 2021 by Jeff Bostic

With the conclusion of the state peacetime emergency agreed to by lawmakers last week, one of the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) policies that ends with it is a waiver of specific requirements around single rooms. Because of the frequency of quarantining of residents during the pandemic, DHS released a memo in November of 2020 that waived two policies around single rooms for quarantine situations:

What Waivers Are Still in Place Now that the Peacetime Emergency is Over?

On July 7, 2021 by Jonathan Lips

With Minnesota's COVID-19 Peacetime Emergency ending July 1, a question on members' minds is what waivers are still in place and for how long. We do not have a lot of detail yet, but here is a summary of what we currently know.

HHS Renews Public Health Emergency Declaration

On April 21, 2021 by Jonathan Lips

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services took action to extend the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) for another 90 days, effective April 21, 2021.

The PHE will now be in place until July 20, and the Section 1135 emergency blanket waivers for nursing facilities will continue over that time unless CMS terminates explicitly one or more of the waivers before that date.

DHS Works to Align Customized Living with Assisted Living Licensure

On March 3, 2021 by Bobbie Guidry

On Feb. 18, DHS sent a communication to all enrolled customized living providers about new assisted living facility licensure requirements and how they affect providers’ ability to provide customized living services. The communication was sent to each provider’s MN-ITS.

RFP for Customized Living Quality Improvement Grant Announced

On February 17, 2021 by Bobbie Guidry

The Aging and Adult Services Division at the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) is seeking proposals from providers to improve the overall quality of customized living services. Qualified responders must have provided customized living services in calendar year 2020 (i.e., between Jan. 1, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2020) to people on the following waivers:

CMS Approves Waiver Reimagine Amendments for All Disability Waivers

On January 13, 2021 by Roni Falck

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved DHS’ CADI Waiver amendment package, which includes Waiver Reimagine streamlined service changes, effective Jan. 11, 2021. CMS has now approved waiver amendment packages that include Waiver Reimagine streamlined service changes for the following waivers:

Public Comment Period on ADS Participant Age Eligibility

On August 12, 2020 by Roni Falck

As part of the DHS Waiver Reimagine project, DHS has requested public comments on Summer 2020 federal waiver plan amendments before they are submitted to the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for approval. These amendments apply to the following waivers: