 Governor Tim Walz and U.S. Rep. Kelly Morrison joined state officials, doctors and advocates in Bloomington on April 15 to discuss the impact of proposed federal cuts to vital health care programs. It was the sixth in a series of statewide roundtables about the potential cuts.
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. State estimates show that Minnesota could lose as much as $1.6 billion annually in federal support for programs serving a wide swath of Minnesotans.
“Medicaid pays for life-saving medication, cancer treatment, child well-checks, and supportive care,” said Governor Walz in a news release. "Cuts to this funding would put hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans’ lives at risk, disproportionately impacting kids, seniors, people with disabilities, and those living in rural areas.”
State Medicaid Director John Connolly said, “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.”
State officials, local providers and advocates also held roundtable discussions in Duluth, Mankato, Moorhead, Rochester, St. Cloud and St. Paul in March and April.
Minnesota's Medicaid program is called Medical Assistance. For more about the impact of Medicaid in Minnesota, visit mn.gov/dhs/medicaid-matters.
 The Direct Care and Treatment Administration has been recognized by the Performance Excellence Network (PEN) for its commitment to high-quality operations and continuous improvement.
Five divisions within the DHS-operated health care system received Performance Excellence Awards in April.
- Ambulatory Services, Community Based Services, Forensic Services and the Minnesota Sex Offender Program each were honored with an engagement level award.
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Treatment Services received an advancement level award.
Executive directors and key staff from each service line were on hand to receive the awards.
DCT is midway through implementing a rigorous quality and performance improvement process known as the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program. The Performance Excellence Awards recognize the progress made so far.
“None of the improvements that we’ve made so far have happened by accident,” said DHS Health System CEO Marshall Smith. “They’ve come through critical self-examination, planning and hard work.”
This health care system includes psychiatric hospitals and other inpatient mental health treatment facilities; inpatient substance abuse treatment facilities; dental clinics, group homes, vocational sites, and sex offender treatment facilities. In all, DHS delivers these services at about 200 sites statewide.
Governor Tim Walz announced in early April a new dashboard Minnesotans can use to track disruptions and cancellations of federal funding and their impact on services available to Minnesotans.
Some disruptions are short-lived. Other grants and awards are abruptly canceled altogether.
The dashboard is updated each weekday as funding disruptions and cancellations occur, as well as funding restored by court orders.
Stay in the know at mn.gov/mmb/budget/federal-investments/data-and-reporting.
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