Minnesota's plan to fold its four disability Medicaid waivers, used by roughly 70,000 people, into two drew fears from people with disabilities and families that it would push more people into group settings, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported on June 1, 2024.
What the plan would change
Under the state Department of Human Services' "Waiver Reimagine" plan, people living in their own homes or with loved ones would use one waiver, and people in settings such as group homes and assisted living would use the other.
Much of the concern centered on a chart the department published in 2021 showing individual budget ranges. The Star Tribune reported that the top of the range was $87,298 for an adult living with family, $93,674 for someone in their own home and $210,064 for someone in community residential services. Department officials said those numbers would be updated and that budgets reflected past service use.
The pushback led legislators to pass a law requiring that an advisory group be able to "collaborate in a meaningful way" in the redesign, the paper reported.
Why this mattered for providers and DSPs
Budget caps shape where people can afford to live and how many support hours they get. Providers of in-home and individualized supports worried lower caps outside group settings could shrink those services. For DSPs, the redesign could shift where the jobs are.