What is Public Charge?
Public Charge refers to an individual who is primarily dependent on the government for subsistence. Our friends at Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota have written an informative fact sheet about how proposed changes to the definition of public charge could affect immigrant and foreign born families.
Read the memo here:
Public Charge Fact Sheet
| 2018_legislative_priorities.pdf |
2018 Legislative Agenda
Top Tier Legislative Priorities
Consumer Directed Community Supports (CDCS)
Lead Organizations: Lutheran Social Services and Arc MN
The goal of this proposal is to pass legislation that will break down the budget barriers so that CDCS becomes a viable option for any individual on a waiver program. This includes:
Lead Organizations: Lutheran Social Services and Arc MN
The goal of this proposal is to pass legislation that will break down the budget barriers so that CDCS becomes a viable option for any individual on a waiver program. This includes:
- Expand the list of exceptions of people who will be able to access CDCS without a reduction in their allocation to Adult Foster Care, Children’s Foster Care, mental health placement.
- Expand exceptions for the increase of up to 20-30% to training.
- Provide CDCS budget information within the summary from MnCHOICES assessment and an explanation of what CDCS is.
- Instruct DHS to track county by county data for before and after budget is shared.
- Education funding for workshops to disability providers.
| cdcs_one_pager_2018.pdf |
MnCHOICES Assessment Reform
Lead Organization: MNCCD Children’s Workgroup
Our goal is to pass legislation to improve the MnCHOICES assessment to ensure that children and adults with disabilities get timely access to the services they need through a process that is easier for individuals and families. Improvements would include:
Improve the MA enrollment and re-enrollment process for children and adults with disabilities
Lead Organization: MNCCD Children’s Workgroup
We propose to address the obstacles currently faced by children and adults with disabilities when applying and reapplying for MA through proper training, transparency, and redesign of the process and forms .
Lead Organization: MNCCD Children’s Workgroup
Our goal is to pass legislation to improve the MnCHOICES assessment to ensure that children and adults with disabilities get timely access to the services they need through a process that is easier for individuals and families. Improvements would include:
- Revised training for assessors to ensure a greater understanding of the primary disability and also to address cultural issues,
- Revised questions including more open ended questions, continuity over multiple assessments,
- Simplification of the service agreement for clients, verbal communication of the right to appeal
- A list of conditions that would guarantee automatic eligibility.
- Develop the option for families and individuals to go through the assessment process either annually, or every three years, with the ability to request a new assessment with a change of condition.
Improve the MA enrollment and re-enrollment process for children and adults with disabilities
Lead Organization: MNCCD Children’s Workgroup
We propose to address the obstacles currently faced by children and adults with disabilities when applying and reapplying for MA through proper training, transparency, and redesign of the process and forms .
- Streamline the process for children and adults with disabilities to enroll and re-enroll in MA with designated staff trained to take these applications.
- A direct line established so that individuals and families of individuals with disabilities have one number that they can call and be connected to the appropriate staff member trained and ready to help.
- A redesign of the online and paper applications with separate application forms for children with a disability.
- Explore a condensed application form for re-enrollment for a child or adult with a disability.
- If possible under federal guidelines, create a list of conditions that are exempted from the every 6-month State Medical Review Team determination.
- Give providers access to a client’s MA renewal date through the current MN-ITS system.
Second Tier Legislative Priorities
Complex PCA Services – Increased Rate and Training Required
Lead Organization: Metropolitan Center for Independent Living
To enact legislation to:
Lead Organization: Metropolitan Center for Independent Living
To enact legislation to:
- Establish a Complex Care level for PCA services in statute
- Define eligibility for Complex Care PCA as those needing 10 or more hours of PCA per day
- Require training for PCA’s serving persons with Complex Care needs
- Establish the Complex Care rate at 10% more than the regular PCA rate (an additional 5% more than the SEIU contract rate for Complex Care that becomes effective in 2018)
| enhanced_rate_for_pca_-_complex_care_02_20_2018.pdf |
Repeal Preferred Incontinence Program
Lead Organization: Midwest Association for Medical Equipment Services & Supplies (MAMES)
Repeal the law passed last session that requires DHS to “implement a preferred incontinence product program by July 1, 2018.” Although DHS has yet to design the preferred incontinence program, regardless of the design, such a program will reduce patient and caregiver choice about the type of incontinence product a MA recipient will be able to obtain based on experiences from other states.
Lead Organization: Midwest Association for Medical Equipment Services & Supplies (MAMES)
Repeal the law passed last session that requires DHS to “implement a preferred incontinence product program by July 1, 2018.” Although DHS has yet to design the preferred incontinence program, regardless of the design, such a program will reduce patient and caregiver choice about the type of incontinence product a MA recipient will be able to obtain based on experiences from other states.
| mpipp_talking_points.docx |
Brain Injury (BI) Waiver Criteria Expansion
Lead Organization: Minnesota Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (MOFAS)
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) is a medical condition present at birth because of alcohol exposure in utero. The alcohol impacts the developing brain and results in a brain injury. And individuals suffering from this type of brain injury need varying levels of support and some could utilize support through a BI waiver, except the waiver contains an exclusion stating that it will not cover individuals with a congenital, meaning present at birth, injury. They are excluded from the BI waiver because their disability is present at birth and they are often excluded from the DD waiver because their IQ’s are too high.
Lead Organization: Minnesota Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (MOFAS)
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) is a medical condition present at birth because of alcohol exposure in utero. The alcohol impacts the developing brain and results in a brain injury. And individuals suffering from this type of brain injury need varying levels of support and some could utilize support through a BI waiver, except the waiver contains an exclusion stating that it will not cover individuals with a congenital, meaning present at birth, injury. They are excluded from the BI waiver because their disability is present at birth and they are often excluded from the DD waiver because their IQ’s are too high.
| brain_injury_definition_fact_sheet.pdf |
Homecare Collective Bargaining Agreement
Lead Organization: SEIU Healthcare Minnesota
Our goal is to restore the funding of our original Tentative Agreement with the administration and achieve additional wage increases and other benefits to address the care crisis through roughly an additional 1.64% rate and budget increase.
Lead Organization: SEIU Healthcare Minnesota
Our goal is to restore the funding of our original Tentative Agreement with the administration and achieve additional wage increases and other benefits to address the care crisis through roughly an additional 1.64% rate and budget increase.
| seiu_ccd_session_start-up_one-pager.pdf |
Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Incentive Pool
Lead Organization: Lutheran Social Services
To help providers who have innovative ideas for increasing independence in disability services in both work and living and incentivize people towards that goal. This will also increase creativity and give providers a funding stream for sometimes unfunded ideas.
Lead Organization: Lutheran Social Services
To help providers who have innovative ideas for increasing independence in disability services in both work and living and incentivize people towards that goal. This will also increase creativity and give providers a funding stream for sometimes unfunded ideas.
| hcbs_innovation_pool_one_pager_2018.pdf |
Require health plan coverage of Sensory Integration Therapy and Cognitive Therapy for children
Lead Organization: MNCCD Children’s Work Group
Medical assistance currently covers Sensory Integration Therapy and Cognitive Therapy for children. Some of the health plans in Minnesota cover these therapies while some do not, thus there is an inconsistency in terms of access for children who need these services based on whether they have Medical Assistance or commercial coverage and what type of commercial insurance they have.
Lead Organization: MNCCD Children’s Work Group
Medical assistance currently covers Sensory Integration Therapy and Cognitive Therapy for children. Some of the health plans in Minnesota cover these therapies while some do not, thus there is an inconsistency in terms of access for children who need these services based on whether they have Medical Assistance or commercial coverage and what type of commercial insurance they have.
Third Tier Legislative Priorities
Prescribed Pediatric Extended Care Center Reimbursement
Lead Organization: Pediatric Home Service (PHS)
The goal is to pass a law that includes funding and methodology for Medicaid reimbursement for Prescribed Pediatric Extended Care Center services. In the 2016 legislative session, funding for licensing a PPEC was passed into law, but reimbursement for the services did not pass. We are returning this year to obtain reimbursement for PPEC services through Medicaid.
Step Therapy Reform
Lead Organization: National Multiple Sclerosis Society
Create an exemption process for providers to waive a step therapy protocol for a medication needed by their patients.
Chloe Barnes Rare Disease Advisory Council
Lead Organization: Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare
To create a rare disease advisory council to advise state agencies on research, diagnosis, treatment and education related to rare diseases.
Update the Minnesota Health Records Act
Lead Organization: Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare
Create a better system to share medical record for better collaboration between providers.
Prior Authorization Reform
Lead Organization: Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare
Reform the current prior authorization (PA) process for medications.
Best Life Alliance
Lead Organization: Lutheran Social Services and many other CCD members
Support the initiative of the Best Life Alliance which may include further changes to DWRS or low/no cost proposals to improve the workforce crisis.
Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) Licensure
Lead Organization: Frasier
Our goal is to pass a bill that would allow for BCBA licensure under the auspices of the Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy.
Parenting with a Disability Support Services Pilot Project
Lead Organization: Metropolitan Center for Independent Living
Require DHS to establish a pilot project to assist parents with disabilities in childrearing tasks. The purpose of this pilot -project is to assist parents with disabilities in childrearing tasks and to prevent removal of children from parents solely because the parents have disabilities.
Coordinate Health Services Through Direct Secure Messaging
Lead Organization: MN Behavioral Health Network
The goal is to pass a bill to become law requiring all health care providers to have and report a direct secure message address at the time of license renewal.
Supplemental Rate 2 Banked Beds
Lead Organization: Stepping Stone Emergency Housing
Change the policy of banked beds by removing an individual county’s ability to hold onto the banked beds indefinitely and allowing DHS to allocate them based on an agreed upon application process.
Lead Organization: Pediatric Home Service (PHS)
The goal is to pass a law that includes funding and methodology for Medicaid reimbursement for Prescribed Pediatric Extended Care Center services. In the 2016 legislative session, funding for licensing a PPEC was passed into law, but reimbursement for the services did not pass. We are returning this year to obtain reimbursement for PPEC services through Medicaid.
Step Therapy Reform
Lead Organization: National Multiple Sclerosis Society
Create an exemption process for providers to waive a step therapy protocol for a medication needed by their patients.
Chloe Barnes Rare Disease Advisory Council
Lead Organization: Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare
To create a rare disease advisory council to advise state agencies on research, diagnosis, treatment and education related to rare diseases.
Update the Minnesota Health Records Act
Lead Organization: Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare
Create a better system to share medical record for better collaboration between providers.
Prior Authorization Reform
Lead Organization: Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare
Reform the current prior authorization (PA) process for medications.
Best Life Alliance
Lead Organization: Lutheran Social Services and many other CCD members
Support the initiative of the Best Life Alliance which may include further changes to DWRS or low/no cost proposals to improve the workforce crisis.
Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) Licensure
Lead Organization: Frasier
Our goal is to pass a bill that would allow for BCBA licensure under the auspices of the Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy.
Parenting with a Disability Support Services Pilot Project
Lead Organization: Metropolitan Center for Independent Living
Require DHS to establish a pilot project to assist parents with disabilities in childrearing tasks. The purpose of this pilot -project is to assist parents with disabilities in childrearing tasks and to prevent removal of children from parents solely because the parents have disabilities.
Coordinate Health Services Through Direct Secure Messaging
Lead Organization: MN Behavioral Health Network
The goal is to pass a bill to become law requiring all health care providers to have and report a direct secure message address at the time of license renewal.
Supplemental Rate 2 Banked Beds
Lead Organization: Stepping Stone Emergency Housing
Change the policy of banked beds by removing an individual county’s ability to hold onto the banked beds indefinitely and allowing DHS to allocate them based on an agreed upon application process.
ABOUTThe Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (MNCCD) is a broad based coalition
of advocacy and provider organizations working to change public policy to improve the lives of people with disabilities through building awareness, providing education, and engaging the community. |
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