Extension to health and human services program changes made law

A law that took effect June 24, 2020 extends health and human services program waivers and modifications made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic is intended to both ease social service agencies back into their regular operating procedures and allow the state to consider long-term improvements.

Sponsored by Rep. Tina Liebling (DFL-Rochester) and Sen. Jim Abeler (R-Anoka), these extensions will mostly go into effect when the COVID-19 peacetime emergency declared by Gov. Tim Walz expires.

Extensions needed for the state to meet federal requirements and receive full federal funding will remain in effect as long as necessary to remain in federal compliance. These include:

• measures intended to preserve health care coverage for people on Medical Assistance and Minnesota Care;

• changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program;

• elimination of cost-sharing for COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment; and

• changes to the eligibility period for the Refugee Cash Assistance Program and Refugee Social Services Program, which are federally funded.

Other waivers and modifications are being considered for long-term adoption and will be extended until June 30, 2021, allowing the Legislature to see what sort of effect they have over a longer period of time. These include measures that will:

• expand and provide flexibility to telemedicine services, including those used to provide mental health services in schools;

• allow flexibility for the oversight of personal care assistance services and housing licensing requirements;

• partially waive county costs when discharges from Department of Human Services-operated psychiatric hospitals are delayed due to COVID-19;

• expand remote home and community-based services waiver services;

• authorize the use of telemedicine for patient assessments and consultations in the medical cannabis program;

• modify certain requirements for early intensive developmental and behavioral intervention services; and

• modify certain licensing and certification requirements for substance use disorder treatment and mental health centers, including requirements for when clients and staff have tested positive for COVID-19.

The law also appropriates $1.14 million from the federal coronavirus relief bill to extend a provision that increases the length of time people can be away from their home while remaining eligible for state-funded housing support.

This would accommodate COVID-19-related hospital stays, and ensure people have a safe place to be discharged to. Though the extension will only run through Dec. 30, 2020 because that is how long the federal funding will be available.

Additional extensions will create a “ramp-down period” for service providers – including counties and tribes – to prevent backlogs and ensure continued access.

These will remain in effect for up to 60 days after the end of the peacetime emergency in order to transition the affected programs into operating normally and include all waivers or modifications not otherwise accounted for.

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