Upcoming MA Reform Waiver Stakeholder Meeting; 30-day Public Comment period opened for NF-LOC Proposed Changes

Two brief updates of interest to Minnesota’s disability policy community:

1)     Monday, Dec. 5, 9:00am – Noon: Stakeholder Meeting for the Minnesota Medicaid Reform Waiver. Minnesota Department of Human Services, Elmer L. Andersen Human Services Building, Room 2380, 540 Cedar Street, St. Paul. Agenda: Opening remarks by Human Services Commissioner Lucinda Jesson; Waiver project overview and timelines by State Medicaid Director David Godfrey; Presentations of specific projects (employment supports, housing supports, redesign of long – term care, enrollee cost sharing/incentives and dual eligible planning grant). Questions, comments and suggestions, please call (651)-431-2191 or email quitina.cook@state.mn.us.

2)     The Minnesota State Legislature has directed the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) to apply for any necessary federal authority to implement a more restrictive nursing facility level of care (NF LOC) standard. Three HCBS Waivers use this NF LOC assessment: the CADI Waiver, The Brain Injury (BI) Waiver and The Elderly Waiver (EW). A 30-day public comment period on this federal application (referred to as the Long-Term Care Realignment Section 1115 Medicaid Waiver) began Nov. 28th, 2011 and will run through Dec. 28th, 2011. Background documents on this proposed change can be found here. The “Draft Long Term Care Waiver Realignment Proposal – Nov 2011” document contains information on the specifics of the proposed NF LOC standard, as well as information on the alternative services that may be available to those individuals who no longer meet the new NF LOC standard (if Minnesota’s waiver application is approved by the federal government). MN-CCD members are encouraged to submit comments during this 30-day public comment period by mailing written comments to Jan Kooistra, Minnesota Department of Human Services, P.O. Box 64983, St. Paul, MN 55164-0983.