Wednesday, January 4, 2026

 Official Publication of Minnesota Home Care Association

  Inside the Informer

  Member News

Submit a Nomination for MHCA’s Board of Directors

Tomorrow is the last day to submit nominations for MHCA’s Board of Directors! The selection works in a two-step process where after nominations come in, the candidates from those nominations are able to submit a full application for the Board.

Do you know someone who would be a strong candidate for MHCA Board of Directors or have you considered taking on the role? Ideal candidates are strategic thinkers with proven leadership skills and experience participating on MHCA committees and workgroups.

Board terms are for three years and will begin as soon as a candidate is elected.

Submit your nominations by tomorrow, February 5th, and be in charge of the leadership you want to see in 2026! 

Click here to submit a nomination.

Registration Open for 2026 Day at the Capitol

Join us for Day at the Capitol and Advocacy Week, an amazing opportunity to advocate on behalf of critical home care priorities and make a real impact on the home care community in Minnesota. 

The week begins with a virtual kickoff session on Tuesday, March 10, where participants will be briefed on home care issues and receive insights on how to advocate effectively. Then, on Thursday, March 12, we’ll come together in-person at the Capitol to meet with policymakers, share our stories, and raise awareness about the issues that matter most to the home care community.

Whether you’re a seasoned advocate or brand new to advocacy, this is your chance to learn, connect, and help shape the future of home care. Mentors will be available for those who want or need them – first-time advocates are encouraged to register!

For more information and to register, click here.

Register for MHCA’s New Regulatory Consulting Pilot Program

MHCA has launched a new Regulatory Consulting Program designed to provide members with customized, corrective support to strengthen regulatory compliance and improve survey readiness. The program delivers targeted consulting services tailored to each organization’s needs, focusing on three key areas: chart audit reviews, QAPI audit reviews, and mock surveys (for Medicare-certified and comprehensively licensed agencies).

Click here to learn more about the services and to register!

Apply for an MHCF Scholarship Before March 1!

Have you applied for Minnesota Home Care Foundation (MHCF)’s new Scholarship Program? The program is designed to support direct care, clinical, and administrative professionals through continuing education and certification opportunities. 

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and are due March 1! Applications will be reviewed during the second week of March, with more opportunities to be awarded scholarships in June, September, and December.

Recipients will be awarded up to $200 toward a certification or continuing education course. Applicants must be a direct care or clinical support employee for an agency that is a member of the Minnesota Home Care Association and in a role that is in the line of nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, social work, and/or administration.

For more information and to apply, click here.

Resource of the Month: Onboarding Materials

We've heard from our members that one of the most time-consuming tasks they have is onboarding new staff members, and it's caused agencies to shorten the onboarding process. 

This toolkit was developed by MHCA to support home care agencies in efficiently onboarding new employees. It provides general home care orientation materials intended to supplement the agency-specific training you provide.

Click here to access the materials.

New and Upcoming Education Opportunities

MHCA has several events over the next few months, including Emergency Tabletop Exercise, Day at the Capitol, Leadership Summit and more!  Be sure to check out the listings at the end of the Informer! 

MHCA has also entered into an agreement with CHAP for accreditation and education discounts.

  MHCA IN ACTION

MHCA Testifies at Senate Human Services Committee Hearing

MHCA was invited to testify at the Senate Human Services Committee hearing to address concerns about DHS’ prepayment review process. Executive Director Kathy Messerli opened by emphasizing the widespread challenges facing providers and the severe impact weeks of unpaid services have had on agencies and the clients who depend on them. Jaime Kummer, administrator/owner at River Valley Home Care and member of the MHCA Board of Directors, followed up with testimony of the problems the prepayment review process has caused for her home care agency and other MHCA members. 

MHCA stands firmly behind efforts to detect and eliminate fraud within the Medicaid program. Program integrity is essential. At the same time, access to needed and legitimate services must be protected. Legitimate providers must receive timely funding so that clients can continue to receive the care they desperately need.

We ask MHCA members to please contact both of Minnesota’s US Senators and your US Representative and ask them to put pressure on CMS to adopt a targeted, risk-based approach to identifying Medicaid fraud. We’ve updated our Advocacy Center to have a message written out for you to send, or you can contact your representatives in any similar way you’d prefer. You are encouraged to add a few specific examples of the impact facing your clients and agency, as stories are more powerful.

Thank you for your continued advocacy and commitment to Minnesota’s home care providers and the communities they serve.

Click here to access our Advocacy Center.

Why Supporting Home Care Champions Matters

State legislators make critical decisions that directly affect home care—funding, workforce policy, reimbursement rates, and regulatory oversight. Financially supporting candidates who understand and advocate for home care helps ensure our voice is heard at the Minnesota Capitol and our priorities stay front and center. The MN Home Care Political Action Committee (PAC) has closed down. 2026 is a general election year where all seats in both chambers of the Minnesota Legislature will be on the ballot and it’s imperative that legislators who will support home care are elected.

Good news: Minnesota offers a Political Contribution Refund (PCR) that makes giving easy and affordable. Individuals can receive a full refund for contributions up to $75 per person ($150 per couple) when donating to qualifying state candidates. That means you can support pro–home care leadership and get every dollar back.

Your participation strengthens our industry and helps elect leaders who will stand up for home care providers, workers, and the clients we serve.

Contact Kathy Messerli for more information.

 Compliance corner

MHCA Clarifies Integrated Licensure (245D)

Providers who choose to add a Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) designation to their home care license are referred to as holding an integrated license. An integrated license allows a provider to deliver certain 245D basic support services under their existing Minnesota Department of Health (MDH)-issued home care license.

This integration is intended to support home care providers who already serve home care clients and wish to offer basic support services as part of a broader care plan.

It is important to note that the HCBS designation does not replace the core requirements of a home care license. Providers must continue to meet all legal requirements for both the 144A home care license and the 245D.03 basic support services.

If you have any questions about this clarification, please contact MHCA’s Regulatory Affairs Manager.

Preview Reports and Star Rating Preview Reports Now Available In iQIES for the April 2026 Refresh of HH QRP Data

This is a reminder that the HHA Provider Preview Reports have been updated and are now available. These reports include provider performance scores for quality measures that will be published during the April 2026 refresh on Medicare.gov’s Compare Tool and the Provider Data Catalog (PDC).

Check Compliance Reports with HHAexchange

Agencies can track compliance details in HHAeXchange to recognize any issues with EVV. Click here to view the EVV Compliance Reports and their definitions.

If you are looking to review why a visit is not compliant, HHAeXchange recommends the “EVV Compliance Detail Report” which only displays visits with exceptions applied.

  State news

Addressing Immigration Enforcement in Minnesota Communities

MHCA stands with all Minnesotans in expressing deep concern about the recent enforcement operations involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in our communities. We recognize that the situation has created uncertainty and anxiety for families, health care workers, patients, and neighbors — regardless of background — and we share the priority that everyone’s safety and access to care must be respected and protected.

MHCA urges all levels of government — federal, state, and local — to work collaboratively to ensure that enforcement actions do not interfere with health care delivery, do not deter people from seeking medical attention, and do not undermine community safety. We encourage calm, lawful engagement with authorities, and we stand ready to partner with elected officials and public health leaders to protect the well-being of patients and providers across Minnesota.

Here are a couple of websites shared at the Metro Coalition meeting that can be used to see if ICE is nearby for visits:

Department of Labor and Industry Meal Break Policy

Effective January 1, state law requires employers to provide employees with time to use the restroom and to take meal breaks. Breaks lasting less than 20 minutes must be counted as hours worked and paid. To be unpaid, longer breaks must fully relieve employees of all work duties. See the link here for information on 2026 updates and FAQs regarding rest and meal breaks.

Minnesota Revalidate 2026

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) is launching a major new initiative aimed at strengthening oversight of Medicaid providers and ensuring program integrity. The effort, called Minnesota Revalidate 2026, focuses on revalidating providers enrolled in the state’s highest-risk programs to combat fraud. 

Minnesota Revalidate 2026 targets 13 high-risk programs that must complete off-cycle revalidation by May 31, 2026:

1. Adult Day Care 
2. Adult Rehabilitative Mental Health Services 
3. Assertive Community Treatment 
4. Community First Services and Supports Agency and Personal Care Provider Organizations
5. Companion Care
6. Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention Agencies
7. Individualized Home Supports
8. Integrated Community Supports
9. Intensive Residential Treatment
10. Night Supervision
11. Non-Emergency Medical Transportation
12. Peer Recovery
13. Recuperative Care 

Minnesota Revalidate 2026 is an unprecedented effort to compress a typically three-year process into four months that encompasses all providers in the 13 identified programs.

DHS notified all affected providers through their MN-ITS mailbox or by U.S. mail.

Provider Enrollment Frozen for 13 Medicaid Services

The Minnesota Department of Human Services will freeze new provider enrollments in 13 Medicaid service categories identified as having a high risk of fraud. The department is working with the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to implement the freeze, after which the state will stop accepting new applications from businesses seeking to offer these services. To ensure Minnesotans continue to have access to critical care statewide, the department will grant exceptions in areas where additional provider capacity is needed. All exceptions will require written approval from CMS.

Click here for more information.

DHS Releases Reminders for Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCP) Home Services

DHS sent out reminders last week about MHCP covered services delivered in the home. These reminders read as follows:

• If you are an MHCP-enrolled provider of services eligible to be provided at home, you can bill for visits provided at place of service 12 even if you have not done so previously.
• MHCP-enrolled providers use place of service 12 when billing for a home visit. Place of service 12 is inclusive of any location, other than a hospital or other facility, where the patient receives care in a private residence.
• Providers do not need to document or provide information on the patient’s home address when billing for home visits.
• All the required components of the billing code or service must be provided to bill. Not all visits are appropriate in place of service 12.

Special note about Evaluation and Management (E&M) services

E&M services can be provided for members at home for any reason. Home visit E&M codes are covered for new and existing patients.

Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare Roundtable Changing to Weekly Meetings

Due to a clear community need for a more frequent and responsive point of contact with enrolled providers, the provider and community roundtable call will transition from a monthly to a weekly schedule.

This new schedule will allow DHS to share timely updates and hear directly from providers during this especially busy period.

This new cadence began January 29 and will continue until further notice. The calls will be held every Thursday from 10:00–10:45 a.m.

DHS asks that you use mhcp.roundtables.dhs@state.mn.us to share the names and email addresses of provider and community organization colleagues who should attend these calls.

DHS Updates Disability Waiver Amendment Approval and Implementation Timelines

DHS is providing updates and clarifying the implementation timelines for the following waivers with amendments currently under CMS review:

• Community Alternative Care (CAC)
• Community Access for Disability Inclusion (CADI)
• Developmental Disabilities (DD)

To view the updates, click here.

Reminder: Check Your MN-ITS Mailbox

With all the changes happening for Minnesota health care providers, this is a reminder to routinely check your MN-ITS mailbox. This will ensure you stay updated in all that might affect your agency.

  federal news

Telehealth Flexibilities Update

On January 30, Congress entered a brief shutdown period while finalizing an agreement to continue funding the government. Therefore, telehealth flexibilities were paused that day. However, a budget bill was passed February 3 that approved telehealth, retroactive to January 30. 

It is expected that it will take some time for CMS to implement the parameters of the hospice F2F flexibilities. For home health agencies, it extends provisions removing geographic requirements and expanding originating sites through December 31, 2027. 

  Educational Opportunities

MHCA Partnerships

Fueled Growth Partners is a company that provides a net zero cost supplemental health care plan with amazing benefits, while providing revenue to MHCA. To schedule a personal presentation and get a no cost/commitment proposal based on your actual employee data  click here. 

On-Demand Opportunities

Click on the logos below for a list of courses offered!

Save the Date

Minnesota Home Care Association
P: 651.635.0607  |  F: 651.635.0043  |  www.mnhomecare.org  |  membership@mnhomecare.org

STAY CONNECTED

Mission: MHCA represents and supports Minnesota home care providers committed to high quality home care services.
Vision: MHCA will shape the home care landscape to improve and sustain quality home care services.