Minnesota Health Care Reform Update, DHS Rolls Out New Systems and Seeks Public Feedback

The Aging and Adult Services Division (AASD) and Disability Services Division (DSD) are working hard to keep everyone informed while Minnesota negotiates the rough seas of health care reform. The shift from Personal Care Assistance (PCA) and Consumer Support Grant (CSG) to Community First Services and Supports (CFSS) is the focus of their most recent weekly update, a straightforward message. “Regular updates early in the transition,” according to the bulletin issued by DHS, will be sent to beneficiaries, families, and providers as they are brought into the new system on October 1st.

Turning back to the policy wonks, DHS also raised concerns last October on new revisions to the Community-Based Services Manual (CBSM). The “summary of updates,” which may sound as dry as dust but could mean big changes in how services are implemented on the ground, appears to be something that lead agency employees and anybody else with a stake in the matter should be watching for. The department’s weekly communique announces the release of such updates whenever they occur.

However, even the most flawless routines pause for important announcements. The DHS in Minnesota just released a new chapter in its Assisted Living Report Card last week. On the fifteenth of November, residents received a new “New ratings for Assisted Living Report Card.” Shortly after that, on November 18, the DHS released a new appeal for public attention, asking for feedback on a “home and community-based services (HCBS) evidentiary package.”

These weekly updates are essential for people who are sensitive to the occasionally static-filled channels of government communication in order to not only survive but thrive in the always changing matrix of services. These requests for comments and ratings ensure that no voice is left out and transform what might otherwise be a one-sided discussion into a debate that, hopefully, will benefit the Minnesota community. Anyone interested in these changes can visit the AASD/DSD website to stay up to date on the newest developments.

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