Minnesota State Senator Jeremy Miller (R-Winona) is coauthoring a bipartisan, comprehensive long-term care workforce support bill that addresses critical short-term and long-term staffing challenges facing personal care assistants, direct support professionals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and disability service providers.

Many of these facilities and providers continue to face difficulties as significant staffing shortages have ravaged the industry. As of December 2022, the vacancy rate of RNs in Minnesota was 9.7%. For LPNs, it was 12.7%. For aides, it was 18.7%. This crisis is compounded by the closures of residential providers, which drive individuals to other facilities already facing staffing shortages. This assistance will help prevent many facilities from closing and ensure individuals have access to these essential services. 

“The bottom line is, there is a significant funding problem when it comes to supporting Minnesota’s long-term care workforce,” Miller said.” It’s critical our state provides the necessary resources to ensure our most vulnerable citizens receive the care they need. This includes supporting the folks who care for our most vulnerable Minnesotans. The Senate passed a similar comprehensive, bipartisan funding package last session and I hope this funding proposal is fast-tracked to help ensure that nursing homes, long-term care facilities, and group homes have the resources they need to continue caring for our loved ones.”  

The bill includes significant funding increases for Minnesota’s long-term care, personal care, and disability waiver rate service industries, including:

• Rate increases for Personal Care Assistants (PCAs), who aid and support persons with disabilities, living independently in the community. 
• A stable funding formula for Intermediate Care Facilities to provide health or rehabilitative services for people with developmental disabilities.
• Funding for disability waiver rate service providers so they have the resources to offer competitive pay to their employees. These services help adults with disabilities live with independence and are at great risk of closure without this additional support. 
• Rate increases for providers of skilled nurse visits, home health aide visits, home care nursing, and home care therapy services. 
• Rate increases for homemaker services providers, which include cleaning, home management, and assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) services.
• Rate increases for nursing facilities so they can offer competitive pay and continue to offer seniors the support they need.
• Rate increases for Non-emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) staff, who provide Medical Assistance (MA) members with the safest, most appropriate, and cost-effective mode of transportation to get to and from nonemergency medical service appointments. The bill also provides a fuel rate adjustment for these workers.
• Grants for residential facilities at risk of closure. This will help keep these facilities open long enough to either resolve their financial issues or provide residents the opportunity to find a new living situation.