https://www.arrm.org/stop-the-cut
In late February, the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) received notification from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of a problem with Minnesota’s rate setting policy for Minnesotans receiving home and community-based services (HCBS). If the problem is not fixed by the state legislature, the issue will result in a 7% cut to the reimbursement rates for services received by several thousand Minnesotans with disabilities.
Act to stop the cut
Minnesota’s State Legislature and Governor can stop these cuts from happening by passing simple legislation and returning the tens of millions of dollars in assistance to funding for supportive services, where it was before the cuts were announced. They need to hear that stopping the cut needs to be a top priority before they adjourn to start campaigning for re-election on May 21.
Do your part by taking the following steps:
- Subscribe to get updates and alerts from the Best Life Alliance , a coalition of providers and advocates who support direct care staff and are leading the fight on this issue: Click here to subscribe
- Email or call your legislators to deliver the below message (please consider adding a line or two about why this issue is important to you. Every contact lets them know how important this issue is to their constituents, which matters to them! Click here to look up your legislators
Sample email text: This past February, the Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) informed the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) that CMS denied Minnesota’s legislatively approved investments in the Disability Waiver Rate System (DWRS), the system that determines service rates for Minnesotans with disabilities accessing community based disability services. This will result in a cut of 7% to the rates for community based disability services across the state for Minnesotans with disabilities.
A cut of 7% will prove devastating to affected individuals and that staff that serve them, and affect me personally. Please support Best Life Alliance Legislation (SF2889/HF 3191) to stop this cut to individual service rates and target these investments specifically to workforce competitiveness.
- Volunteer to author a letter to the editor to your local paper (someone with the Best Life Alliance can contact you with guidance). Click here to volunteer
