[ST. PAUL, MN] – Governor Tim Walz, Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic, House Speaker Melissa Hortman, and a bipartisan group of legislative leaders today visited a nursing home in Coon Rapids to highlight $173 million in direct funding for 340 nursing homes across the state. The funding took effect this month. Photos from the event are attached.

“This session, we worked across the aisle to prioritize the needs of middle class families and seniors. We’re providing direct support to nursing homes across the state to ensure Minnesota’s seniors have the quality care and safe environments they deserve,” said Governor Walz.“By funding nursing homes and investing in workforce incentives, we’re working to ensure our seniors have access to high-quality care while bringing new workers into this critical profession and building the workforce of the future.”

“We have heard from nursing home leaders, caregivers, advocates, and residents about the dire demand for increased state support to keep facilities open,” said Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic. “We heard them, and made their needs a priority this session, and came through with unprecedented investment in programs to benefit seniors living in every community in the state.”

“All Minnesotans deserve to live with dignity, and seniors and their families should have access to affordable, high-quality, and safe environments in nursing homes and long-term care facilities. This year, the Legislature made historic investments to get us closer to that goal,” said Speaker Melissa Hortman. “I’m grateful to the legislators, stakeholders, and advocates who worked together to find common ground on this important issue.”

340 facilities with more than 24,000 active beds are benefiting from the new state funding. Each facility will get $225,000, plus an additional $4,000 for each active bed they operate. Nursing homes will be able to spend the money on costs such as debt restructuring, rent or debt payments, closing lines of credit, and physical improvements and maintenance.

Nursing homes received the first half of the payments this month. Funds will come in two installments, with the second payments going out next year. The funding is in addition to routine Medicaid payments to nursing homes.

“We heard Minnesota nursing homes say loud and clear that they need more support,” said Human Services Commissioner Jodi Harpstead. “We know these payments won’t solve every challenge, but I’m grateful that they will be getting these critical funds. The real winners will be people across Minnesota who rely on nursing homes and will continue to have access to quality care in their communities.”

This session, Governor Walz signed into law over $1 billion to support Minnesota’s seniors and nursing homes across the state – the largest amount of funding ever received by nursing homes in state history. Additional investments include a loan program for distressed nursing homes, a temporary rate add-on, a rate adjustment for critical access nursing facilities, and a workforce incentive grant program.