Monthly news digest from the Department of Human Services
Minnesota Department of Human Services logo [ [link removed] ]
NEWS FROM DHS
*March 2025*
*News from DHS archive [ [link removed] ]*
In this issue:
* State officials launch statewide roundtables on proposed federal health care cuts [ #link_3 ]
* In social media: Problem gambling resources [ #link_5 ]
* Register by April 3 for "Art of Access" webinar [ #link_2 ]
* Fact sheet updates [ #link_1 ]
* In the news [ #link_6 ]
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State officials launch statewide roundtables on proposed federal health care cuts
Collage of three photos from the first roundtable held in St. Paul on March 22
State officials, doctors, patients and advocates kicked off a series of statewide roundtables on March 22 educating Minnesotans on the impact of proposed federal cuts to vital health care programs.
Changes proposed in the U.S. Congress to Medicaid and health care funding could result in $880 billion in cuts to health care programing benefiting 1.3 million Minnesotans.
While specific proposals have yet to be unveiled, state estimates show that Minnesota could lose as much as $1.6 billion annually in federal support for health care programs serving a wide swath of Minnesotans, including children, those who are pregnant, seniors and people with disabilities.
“The proposed $880 billion target is not just an abstract figure. It represents a direct threat to the health and well-being of countless Minnesotans and the stability of our health care system,” said John Connolly, state Medicaid director. “This significant number underscores the potential harm facing our state, and the truly challenging choices that will have to be made if these cuts are enacted.”
In addition, the looming expiration of enhanced premium tax credits and other changes to the individual market and MinnesotaCare will result in higher health costs for Minnesotans, causing many to lose coverage.
Roundtables have been held in St. Paul and Duluth. More are planned in Mankato, Rochester, St. Cloud and other locations.
For more about the impact of Medicaid in Minnesota, visit mn.gov/dhs/medicaid-matters/by-the-numbers [ [link removed] ]. Minnesota's Medicaid program is called Medical Assistance.
More information about the Medicaid roundtables, including concerns about proposed federal cuts voiced by a leader in children's health care and a disability advocate, is in a department news release [ [link removed] ].
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In social media: Problem gambling resources
Gambling Month social post 2025
">> Follow DHS on X (formerly Twitter) [ [link removed] ] and Facebook [ [link removed] ] f"or timely updates on DHS news and events.""
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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.
Register by April 3 for "Art of Access" webinar
Odyssey Minnesota Age & Disabilities
The first webinar in the 2025 Age & Disabilities Odyssey series, "The Art of Access," will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday, April 10.
“The Art of Access” will offer tools and best practices to universally design educational programming, arts events and community spaces to be accessible and welcoming for people of all ages and abilities.
Visit the Age & Disabilities Odyssey website [ [link removed] ] for more details and to register. Registration closes at 5 p.m. Thursday, April 3.
Continuing education credit is available for certain professionals.
The Age & Disabilities Odyssey webinar series is co-sponsored by DHS and the Minnesota Board on Aging.
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Fact sheet updates
The following fact sheet was updated in the past month.
* Housing Support (PDF) [ [link removed] ]
All DHS fact sheets [ [link removed] ] are available online.
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In the news
newspaper beside a coffee cup
*Minnesota loses $27.5 million in behavioral health funds as part of Trump administration cuts:* DHS lost hundreds of contracts, amounting to $27.5 million, as part of massive federal cuts nationally. The contracts included drug prevention programs in schools, treatment and recovery programs for mental health and substance use, and harm reduction strategies. The cuts come at a time of a “national behavioral health crisis” with mental health and substance abuse needs at historic highs, DHS Assistant Commissioner Teresa Steinmetz said on MPR's All Things Considered [ [link removed] ].
*Minnesota leaders scramble to allocate funding amid proposed Medicaid cuts:* As Congress is set to consider cuts to Medicaid funding to states, State Medicaid Director John Connolly spoke about what it would mean for Minnesotans around the state who depend on Medicaid in a wide-ranging interview on WCCO Talking Points [ [link removed] ].
**Concern about proposed cuts to Medicaid shared at roundtables around the state: **State officials, doctors, patients and advocates held a roundtable discussion on proposed cuts to Medicaid March 28 in Duluth. Find out what they had to say in a WDIO-TV story [ [link removed] ].
*Money Minute: ABLE savings account:* The Achieving A Better Life Experience, or the ABLE Act, was signed into law in 2014. The tax-free savings account gives people with disabilities a chance to save money without affecting Social Security and Medicaid benefits, said Jen Olson, the program integrity supervisor with DHS. Learn more in a KSTP story [ [link removed] ].
*Protecting youth from growing influence of gambling: *The intersection of technology, the normalization of gambling in the media, and peer pressure are contributing to a new wave of young gamblers, DHS Assistant Commissioner Teresa Steinmetz wrote in a column in The Phoenix Spirit [ [link removed] ].
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