Monthly news digest from the Department of Human Services



Minnesota Department of Human Services logo [ [link removed] ]



NEWS FROM DHS



*August 2023*




*News from DHS archive [ [link removed] ]*





In this issue:

* Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare deadlines extended [ #link_4 ]
* Nearly 50,000 in first group to renew took action to retain coverage [ #link_2 ]
* Legislative fact sheets highlight human services investments and transformations [ #link_1 ]
* In social media: Survey on hiring direct support professionals [ #link_5 ]
* Registration open for Grants, Equity, Access and Research (GEAR) Grantee Showcase webinar [ #link_3 ]
* Fact sheets updated [ #link_8 ]
* In the news [ #link_6 ]

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Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare deadlines extended

Through January 2024, Minnesotans on Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare who need extra time and support will have an additional month to turn in their renewal paperwork.

The extension will help prevent renewal paperwork issues that cause eligible enrollees to lose their health insurance and, with it, their access to health care and prescription medicine.??


* If the previous deadline to renew coverage was Aug. 31, 2023, the new date is Sept. 30, 2023.
* If the previous deadline to renew coverage was Sept. 30, 2023, the new date is Oct. 31, 2023.?
* If the previous deadline to renew coverage was Oct. 31, 2023, the new date is Nov. 30, 2023.
* If the previous deadline to renew coverage was Nov. 30, 2023, the new date is Dec. 31, 2023.
* If the previous deadline to renew coverage was Dec. 31, 2023, the new date is Jan. 31, 2024.

People are still urged to send in their renewal forms and any required documentation as soon as possible to keep insurance coverage.

State, county and Tribal workers have resumed eligibility checks for people on Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare in monthly batches following a pause during the COVID-19 pandemic.?

More information is in a department news release [ [link removed] ] and at mn.gov/dhs/renewmycoverage [ [link removed] ].

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Nearly 50,000 in first group to renew took action to retain coverage

Nearly 50,000 Minnesotans in the first group to renew took action to keep their Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare health insurance, the Minnesota Department of Human Services announced in early August.?

?Minnesota is taking a careful approach to ensure that eligible people keep their insurance,??said Commissioner Jodi Harpstead.??DHS and our community partners are doing everything from text reminders, to letters, phone calls, posters, events and extended deadlines as we urge people to return their paperwork. We add new approaches every month and will keep making adjustments to reach as many people as we can.?

More information is in a department news release [ [link removed] ].

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Legislative fact sheets highlight human services investments and transformations

Minnesota made substantial, significant progress in the 2023 legislative session to improve the human services programs that serve more than 1.5 million state residents. New investments and policy changes will help transform programs and services for the next generation.

The state will take important steps forward to strengthen the child care industry, support the well-being of all Minnesota children, stabilize working families, and address deep poverty and homelessness. Equitable access to behavioral health care services will improve, along with access to health care insurance coverage, particularly for Minnesota children.?

Historic investments in programs and multiple initiatives will support Minnesota?s long-term care workforce.?Rates will go up for an array of services, including waiver services that support over 95,000 older Minnesotans and people with disabilities, personal care assistance services, home care services, and other supportive services.?

Read our overview fact sheet:?Human services: Major investments and transformations (PDF) [ [link removed] ].

Additional fact sheets with more details [ [link removed] ] are available on our website.

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In social media: Survey on hiring direct support professionals

Are you a person with a disability who hires your own direct support professionals? We want your feedback on the Direct Support Connect tool that Minnesotans can use to hire support workers, such as personal care assistants.

Please take our short survey [ [link removed] ] by Friday, Sept. 15. Your answers are anonymous.?

Direct Support Connect survey smaller image

">> Follow DHS on?Twitter [ [link removed] ]?and?Facebook [ [link removed] ]?f"or timely updates on DHS news and events.""

">> Follow our DHS Careers Facebook page [ [link removed] ] for announcements of hiring events, job postings, internships and more."

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Accessible formats

For accessible formats of this publication, write to [email protected], or call 651-431-2000 or use your preferred relay service.



Odyssey Minnesota Age & Disabilities
Registration open for Grants, Equity, Access and Research (GEAR) Grantee Showcase webinar

Registration is now open for the Grants, Equity, Access and Research (GEAR) Grantee Showcase, the next webinar in the 2023 Age & Disabilities Odyssey series.

The webinar will be held from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17.

Attendees will hear from several grantees and learn about the ways GEAR provider capacity grants are unique.

GEAR provides funding assistance and support for services that enhance equity by improving access for historically underserved populations. Provider capacity grants support culturally specific providers, help small home and community-based services providers in rural and underserved areas build capacity and create accessible funding opportunities through DHS.

Register by 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 10:?mn.gov/dhs/odyssey/attend/upcoming-odyssey-events [ [link removed] ].

Sign up for emails about upcoming Age & Disabilities Odyssey webinars at mn.gov/dhs/odyssey/contact [ [link removed] ].

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Fact sheets updated

General Assistance (PDF) [ [link removed] ]?

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newspaper beside a coffee cup
In the news

*Minnesota DHS prioritizes teen mental health:?*Teen mental health care is more important than ever, especially after the pandemic. Neerja Singh, DHS behavioral health clinical director, explained ways the department is working to address the issue. Learn more in a MinnPost article [ [link removed] ].

*Minnesota begins building new children-focused agency:*?The Legislature and Governor Tim Walz passed legislation to create a new Department of Children, Youth, and Families dedicated to overseeing many children-focused state programs currently housed in four state agencies.?Tikki Brown, assistant commissioner for Children and Family Services at DHS, recently spoke with the?Minnesota Reformer [ [link removed] ]?about the goals of the new agency.?

*Relief Grants in MN Help Instill Hope in Addressing Food Insecurity:?*Minnesota received nearly $14 million in American Rescue Plan funding to assist hunger relief efforts. The grants have fostered creativity among food shelves, meal programs, SNAP outreach and tribal nations. Learn more in a Public News Service article [ [link removed] ].?

*State dashboard shows how opioid settlement funds are being used:?*Hundreds of millions of dollars are coming to Minnesota in the years ahead as a result of the state?s settlements with opioid manufacturers and distributors. DHS has published the first year of expenditures on a new dashboard. Learn more in a?KSTP news story [ [link removed] ].

*Hello Nature podcast: Hello, Minneapolis:?*Host Misha Euceph explores Minneapolis? tradition as a welcoming city for refugees and learns about how Huellas Latinas, a local hiking club, is building community and finding home through nature. State Refugee Coordinator Rachele King is featured in the podcast's Season 2, Episode 3 [ [link removed] ].

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? ? envelope that says important information enclosed [ [link removed] ]

1 in 4 Minnesotans will need to renew their healthcare coverage soon. Learn what it means for you or someone you know. [ [link removed] ]



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