Minnesota disability services licensing is coming under increased scrutiny, and the Department of Human Services has paused the program as new findings of fraud come to light.
The Department is reportedly issuing a two-year ban on new licenses for providers with a moratorium on Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS).
Services, most of which are funded by Minnesota’s Medicaid waiver programs, will be halted on January 1, until December 31, 2027.
This comes after an explosion in applications for new licenses over the last five years.
While the number of participants in these programs has only increased by roughly 25%, new license applications have risen by approximately 283%!
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz claims that his state has acknowledged that the findings are “serious” and that “it needs to stop.”
“It is stopping. People are continuing to go to prison,” he said. “I think the good news for Minnesotans to know: When that 90-day pause is over, and the third-party audits are done, we will have a better picture than we’ve ever had, which I think is really good.”
Hellbound and Down 