Joint Human Services Committee hearing
By Angela Garin | November 22, 2023 | All members
Last week, Chairs Noor and Hoffman held a joint informational interim Human Services Committee hearing. The hearing began with Chair Hoffman giving a brief overview of the hearing agenda and introduced David Zak as the new Senate Human Services Committee administrator. David previously served as Chair Hoffman’s legislative assistant.
The joint committee was then introduced to DHS’ new assistant commissioner for healthcare administration. Assistant Commissioner John Connolly leads the Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare programs.
The Department of Human Services gave an update on Acute Care Transitions. In their
presentation, Assistant Commissioner Natasha Merz talked about how hospital decompression has “evolved” and that individuals with behavioral needs are the more difficult to place. She also acknowledges the obvious, that workforce shortages continue to be the main driver behind facilities being unable to accommodate admissions coming from the hospital.
DHS outlines some short-term solutions to help with acute care transitions including having proactive communication plans with hospital systems, community providers, and advocates, and DHS assisting with some of the most acute patients as identified by the hospital. She also spoke to future solutions including community provider capacity building, staff training, and support, hospital training on guardianship, and supported decision-making, discharge coordination with county systems, assessment flexibilities, and the need to adjust elderly waiver caps.
Rep. Zeleznikar asked some great questions regarding out of state placements and spoke to mandates on nursing facilities and assisted livings costing money and being a main driving for denials. Chair Noor lifted up the need to make the system more equitable for the BIPOC community.
Before the committee adjourned, Chair Hoffman made comments about the upcoming session being a short one and the need to work quickly in the session to find workable solutions.
Angela Garin | Senior Director of Advocacy |
agarin@careproviders.org | 952-851-2498