Public participation
DHS invites client, stakeholder and citizen involvement in its initiatives and proposed program changes. The following are current opportunities for participation.
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DHS invites client, stakeholder and citizen involvement in its initiatives and proposed program changes. The following are current opportunities for participation.
The Consolidated Chemical Dependency Treatment Fund (CCDTF) section 1915(b) waiver is due to expire on June 30, 2020. The Minnesota Department of Human services is holding a 30-day comment period from Feb. 20, 2020 through March 20, 2020 to provide an opportunity for the public to comment on the proposed renewal. Please visit the DHS web site at Federal Health Care Waivers for more information on the public comment process and a copy of the waiver renewal application.
The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) invites the public to comment on the progress of the Reform 2020 waiver at the annual public forum on March 13, 2020.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved Minnesota’s section 1115 demonstration waiver entitled Reform 2020 in October 2013. The demonstration provides federal funding for the Alternative Care program, which provides supports to help seniors at risk of nursing home placement to stay in their homes. The waiver is approved through Jan. 31, 2025
The 2020 annual forum to discuss the implementation of the waiver will take place at the March 13 Home and Community-Based Services Partners Panel meeting. The forum will include a brief update on the status of the work, followed by time for questions and comments from the public. Following the public forum, the panel will convene its regularly scheduled meeting. Both events are open to the public.
DATE: Friday, March 13, 2020
TIME: 9 a.m.
LOCATION: Hi-Way Federal Credit Union Admin Office, 840 Westminster St., St. Paul, MN 55103
CONTACT: dhs.aasd.hcbs@state.mn.us\
TO LISTEN BY PHONE: Conference code number to dial in from your phone
*If you are listening by phone, do not put your phone on hold. Doing so subjects everyone else to listen to music.*
Federal law requires states to monitor and report trends in the numbers of people who receive cash assistance through the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program. Minnesota uses TANF money to fund the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP).
Federal law requires states’ TANF and related federal programs to meet a 50% work participation rate. The "work participation rate" (WPR) measures the proportion of recipients who take part in federally defined work activities for a sufficient number of hours each week. The 50% rate may be adjusted by historic reductions in caseload for reasons other than eligibility changes. This is called a caseload reduction credit.
To determine the caseload reduction credit, a state must calculate the percentage change in the number of families served in the most recent federal fiscal year compared to a historical base year of 2005. This percentage change must then be adjusted to take into account any policy changes implemented after 2005.
Minnesota’s caseload reduction credit calculations based on 2019 data are as follows:
Taking these policy changes into account, the estimated caseload reduction credit is 50.5% - (27.6% -16% +2.4%+3.8%) = 32.7%. This credit will be used to reduce the “target” work participation rate for Minnesota next year (federal fiscal year 2019).
Federal rule also allows a state to further reduce the target work participation rate by claiming more than the minimum required state funds for the TANF program. These funds are referred to as "excess Maintenance of Effort (MOE)." The working family tax credit and other qualified expenditures have the capacity to provide excess MOE for this purpose. The number of cases which can be served with Excess MOE, as determined by average annual spending on TANF assistance cases, can be claimed as further caseload reduction. Minnesota will claim excess MOE in order to increase the caseload reduction credit.
Citizens are invited to submit any comments on the above methodology to the DHS Office of Management and Budget by email to: dhs.reportsandforecasts@state.mn.us. Or by regular mail to this address:
Minnesota Department of Human Services
Reports and Forecasts Division
PO Box 64996
St. Paul, MN 55164-0996
The Disabilities Services Division of DHS seeks new members for the Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Interventions (EIDBI) Advisory Group.
The advisory group’s purpose is to advise DHS about the ongoing development and implementation of the EIDBI benefit, a Medicaid health benefit for people under age 21 with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or related conditions.
Related conditions include, but are not limited to, Asperger’s Syndrome, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Rett Syndrome, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder—Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS).
The term of office is two years, and the new term begins in January 2020. Meetings are held quarterly.
There are openings for members in the following categories:
Interested people should apply on the Secretary of State’s Boards and Commissions website for open positions.
Applicants who apply by Oct. 31 will receive first consideration for the current vacancies.
Under federal law, a state can make changes to its Medicaid program through certain waiver authorities to test new ways of delivering and paying for health services. A state can also amend its Medicaid state plan. The plan is an agreement between the state and federal government about how the state will administer the Medicaid program.
Read more about Minnesota’s Medicaid waiver requests and Medicaid state plan amendments.
Many advisory committees provide expertise and input on a regular basis to help DHS create and implement program changes. Most committees are comprised of members from outside DHS. A complete list of DHS advisory committees is online.
DHS welcomes volunteer help on an ongoing basis at the Forensic Mental Health Program in St. Peter.