Nursing homes: policies and procedures
Here are some resources to help our partners meet our obligation to provide high-quality nursing home care for Minnesotans.
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Here are some resources to help our partners meet our obligation to provide high-quality nursing home care for Minnesotans.
Minnesota state law calls for a planned, collaborative process for closing nursing home beds, whether a partial or complete facility closure. These laws may also apply to nursing facilities undergoing a change in operation that may encourage or could result in resident relocations (e.g. a moratorium or construction project, etc.).
Nursing facilities - Resident Relocation
Nursing facilities are required by law to follow a process whenever a facility closes beds and in particular when nursing facility bed closures or operational changes result in or encourage the relocation of residents. The Department has developed a Guide (PDF) and chronological checklist that provides an overview of the closure and resident relocation process; with contacts, templates and statutory references useful to nursing facilities. For any nursing facility considering the closure of beds, the first step in this process should be to contact our staff liaison.
County agencies - Resident Relocation
Local county social services agencies serve as the lead agency on behalf of DHS, when resident relocations are involved in the closure of nursing facility beds. The Department has developed guidance and a chronological checklist that provides an overview of the closure and resident relocation process from the County perspective, along with contacts, templates and statutory references that are useful to the County lead agencies when fulfilling their obligations under the law. Please contact our staff liaison for more information.
Planned Closure Rate Adjustment (PCRA) for Closing Beds
Applications for the Planned Closure Rate Adjustment (PCRA) for facilities closing beds are coordinated with the Resident Relocation process outlined above and all applicable regulatory obligations regarding resident relocation must be met first. To get more information on the PCRA process or to request an application, please contact our staff liaison.
Resources for Operational Flexibility
Here are some resources for MN nursing facilities looking for operational flexibility that may assist with staffing issues, help to avoid the closure of beds or provide other operational flexibility.
Resources:
Employee scholarship program
The Minnesota Department of Human Services Nursing Facility Employee Scholarship Program provides Minnesota nursing facilities the opportunity to grant scholarships to eligible facility employees for education and training leading to advancement in the long-term care field or within the facility. Scholarship monies are available for limited uses and for eligible employees only.
Eligibility
Guidance
The following documents and guidance are available to assist facilities in implementing a facility scholarship program:
Please contact our staff for a copy of any of these documents.
Scholarship Reporting
Scholarship information is reported on Section 7 of the online facility Statistical and Cost Report - through the password protected Provider Portal. The final due date for submitting the 2022 reporting forms (for the period 10/1/2022 - 9/30/2023) is February 1, 2024.
Training Available
If your facility is new to the Employee Scholarship Program, has questions or would like training on policies or procedures, please contact our staff to schedule an online webinar or teleconference call for training.
Medicaid-certified nursing facilities in Minnesota must submit an annual statistical and cost report to the Department. After these reports are audited, the data is used to calculate the per diem (daily) payment rates for nursing facility residents. Some historic statistical and cost report data is available upon request, although there may be a charge for this data. To request historical data, please contact our staff via email.
Please use the staff contact link to submit your request and receive an estimate of any associated cost.
This guide helps nursing homes stay in compliance with state and federal regulations regarding leave days and issues normally associated with leave days.
A list of Department bulletins, arranged by program area and year can be found on the DHS bulletins home page.
Under federal law, nursing facilities are obligated to assist residents in obtaining needed transportation services. Like other services provided to nursing facility residents, these services should be provided in a manner that maintains resident dignity, safety and the highest level of functioning.
Nursing facilities have a responsibility to ensure that residents receive necessary medical care and treatment, and that which is needed to fulfill the resident’s plan of care. In some cases, the resident’s care and treatment may be provided within the facility. However, if this is not possible or desirable, the nursing facility is responsible for helping the resident to find transportation services. Facilities also have an obligation to protect residents, to provide for their well-being and safeguard them against harm and accidents. Therefore, each resident must receive adequate supervision and assistance devices to prevent accidents. Facilities must help to arrange for escorts or attendants to accompany residents to medical appointments when needed.
Under no circumstances is it acceptable for a nursing facility to send an unaccompanied resident to an appointment if the resident is not coherent or fully cognizant, or is suffering from dementia or any other condition that impairs the resident’s ability to conduct themselves safely. It is also not acceptable to affix name tags or other identifying information on a resident’s body as a means of identifying the resident. If the resident is unable to identify themselves and where they currently reside and display competent self-preservation skills, the resident should not be traveling unescorted.
For more information on transportation of nursing facility residents, contact us.
In all disaster situations, the health and welfare of the residents should be the first priority.
Upon declaration of a natural disaster, Minnesota Statutes 12A.0 gives the Department of Human Services (DHS) authority to provide Medical Assistance or MA funding for eligible expenses to nursing facilities affected by natural disasters and other emergency situations for up to 60 days following the disaster.
In the event of an evacuation, the normal daily rate continues to be paid by DHS to the evacuating facility as long as the residents are not formally discharged. Receiving (sheltering) facilities may apply for assistance. DHS will consider individual facility concerns or unusual circumstances with regard to payment under 12A on a case-by-case basis.
Evacuating facilities should notify DHS as soon as possible with the names, dates and destinations of evacuated residents using the Facility Evacuation Form available through the DHS reimbursement coordinator. Evacuating facilities are also responsible to notify DHS immediately upon return of residents to their facility.
Note: For Minnesota nursing facilities that have any resident who is being evacuated and that resident is the financial responsibility of the North Dakota Medicaid (MA) Program, please email the North Dakota Department of Human Services.
Related Disaster Resources
Minnesota nursing facilities are able to contract with DHS to earn performance-incentive Medical Assistance payments of up to 5 percent of the operating payment rate. The incentive payments are time-limited rate adjustments. More information is available on the DHS Grants and RFPs page.
The Medical Assistance (MA) program allows payment for the placement of a Minnesota MA recipient in a private room when medical necessity exists. Requests must be submitted to the Department of Human Services for review by our staff.
If you have questions about this process or would like to submit an application, please contact us.
Information and detailed descriptions of the Minnesota Quality Indicators and Adjusters can be found in the Minnesota Nursing Home Report Card Technical User Guide.
The Medical Assistance (MA) program allows payment for the placement of a Minnesota MA recipient in an out-of-state nursing facility in situations where the request meets both federal and state requirements. Requests must be submitted to the Department of Human Services for review by our staff.
If you have questions about this process, contact us.
The Nursing Facility Annual Statistical and Cost Report for the report year ending Sept. 30 becomes available for data entry in December of the same calendar year. You can find this on the Provider Portal. This is a password protected site. The due date to submit this report is Feb. 1 of the following calendar year.
Scholarship information is reported on Section 7 of the facility Annual Statistical and Cost Report, through the Provider Portal. Scholarship information for the report year ending Sept. 30 is due when the Annual Statistical and Cost Report is submitted (no later than Feb. 1 of the following calendar year).
Information obtained from the scholarship reporting forms filed for the Cost Report year ending Sept. 30 is used to set scholarship payment rates for the following rate year.
If you are an employee of a Medicaid-certified nursing home in Minnesota, follow this link to find information about the DHS Nursing Facility Employee Scholarship Program.
Cultural competency is necessary in doing business with the diverse populations served by Minnesota’s health and human services programs. These resources will help providers develop services that focus on the culturally specific needs and desires of the people they serve as well as promote workforce diversity.
Culture Care Connection
This Stratis Health website provides information, assessment tools, resources, and training on diversity and cultural competency for health care providers.
Minnesota Department of Human Services cultural competency statement
This statement outlines the department's commitment to cultural competency, in terms of both its workforce and its services and programs.
Health care interpreter roster
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) maintains this roster of health care interpreters.
Resource Library for Advancing Health Equity in Public Health
Maintained by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), this website provides tools, templates, and resources to build health equity capacity.