The Minnesota Senate on Saturday approved a comprehensive new health and human services budget to fund crucial health care and social service programs throughout Minnesota. The budget prioritizes behavioral and mental health, telehealth, improving maternal outcomes, and giving greater independence for disabled Minnesotans.
Notably, the bill includes several provisions carried by Senator Carla Nelson (R-Rochester) this year, including funding for school-linked mental health services, the expansion of the YOUTH Act, and increased funding to support Minnesotans with disabilities.
“For years, I have worked to improve both the quantity and quality of mental health services available to children,” said Sen. Nelson. “It has never been more critical than now. The pandemic escalated the need for earlier and broader access to mental health support. Children must have options to access community-based mental health services. The mental health supports in this bill will help us reach even more children. That’s fantastic news for Minnesotans.”
The YOUTH ACT provides intensive, nonresidential rehabilitative mental health services in the community for children and youth with serious mental health concerns. The Nelson bill expanded eligibility to children as young as 8 and youth as old as 25.
Mental & Behavioral Health
The HHS budget prioritizes mental and behavioral health by focusing on the needs of Minnesota youth and increased access. The bill also establishes individual treatment plans for children in outpatient services. Substance use disorders for adults are also addressed in this section, establishing a SUD Community of Practice to improve treatment outcomes, and reduce unnecessary paperwork.
Telehealth
The Senate was an early adopter of innovative telemedicine through legislation co-sponsored by Sen. Nelson in 2015. The health and human services budget includes telehealth reforms that further support this health care innovation to improve access and lower costs in healthcare. The bill makes significant investments in the expansion of telehealth services and permanently adds mental health and substance use disorder to the list of eligible services. Health plans in Minnesota will be required to cover benefits delivered through telehealth the same as any other benefit covered in the health plan. The rapid emergence and expansion leading to the significant investment in telehealth has led to the inclusion of a requirement for MDH and DHS to study the impact of the expansion and payment parity for private health insurance and public health care programs.
Disability Support
An amendment by Sen. Nelson to the Senate’s bill captured significant federal resources to better serve Minnesotans with disabilities. The bill supports services to help each person live as independently as possible. The final bill includes access to programs while prioritizing our most vulnerable populations. A package for Personal Care Attendants (PCAs) includes an increase in rates for the PCA and home care providers. Grants to increase independent living and quality of life among the disability community in Minnesota include Parent-to-Parent Peer Support grants, Customized Living Quality Improvement grants, and Home and Community-based Services for Developmental Disabilities.
Mother & Their Babies
The Senate fought and succeeded in providing crucial support for mothers and their young children. Maternal outcomes in the United States lag other industrialized nations. Key provisions to support mothers and their babies include funding for home visiting grants to help with nursing, expanded grants for high-risk pregnancies. The bill also expands Medical Assistance post-partum eligibility to twelve months and enacts the Dignity in Pregnancy and Childbirth Act.
Reinsurance
Reinsurance is a successful program brought forward in 2017 and the next budget will continue the program through the 2022 Benefit Year. This section reaffirms the commitment to make healthcare more affordable to all Minnesotans and stabilizes our health insurance market. Through reinsurance, Minnesota will offer some of the lowest health insurance rates in the country.