Authorized agents and provider users
Page updated: 4/8/25
DHS notifies provider organizations in the spring of their reporting year if they are required to report. We send these notifications via email to authorized agents (as defined under Minn. Stat. §245A.02, subd. 5a). We identify authorized agents based on licensing information and a person’s role in the provider organization. A provider organization is not required to report costs every year. If an authorized agent has not received a notification, then it is not their organization’s reporting year.
The online cost reporting system includes two types of accounts: authorized agent accounts and provider user accounts. Every organization must have an authorized agent account. This page includes information about:
Authorized agent accounts
DHS creates an account in the online cost reporting system for the authorized agent during the organization’s first year of reporting. At the end of March each year, DHS emails the authorized agent at the email address they provided to the state when they enrolled as an authorized agent. This email includes information about the authorized agent’s account, including the username, temporary password and instructions to access the system. The authorized agent should save this email for their records.
DHS sends the reporting notification and account sign-in instructions in separate emails. If the authorized agent receives either a reporting notification email or sign-in instructions email (but not both), the authorized agent should email dhs.costreport@state.mn.us.
If an employee who is not the authorized agent receives a reporting notification, the employee should email dhs.costreport@state.mn.us.
Setting up an authorized agent account
The first time an authorized agent signs in to the online cost reporting system, the system will ask them to reset their password and answer security questions they can use to reset their password in the future. The authorized agent should answer these questions carefully because they are the only way to access a locked account.
Screenshot 1: Login screen
Refer to screenshot 1 for an example of the login screen for the authorized agent. When logging in as the authorized agent, the username will have an “admin.” in front of the email.
Note: During the 2025 cost reporting cycle, some authorized agents do not have the “admin.” prefix in their usernames. This naming convention does not impact their ability to access or use the system.
The login screen also contains information about password requirements (i.e., at least eight characters and a combination of three of the four character types: lowercase or uppercase letters, numbers and special characters), and it explains that the system only supports the most up-to-date version of Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox or Safari.
User passwords expire after 90 days of inactivity, which disables use of the account. However, the authorized agent may choose to reinstate their password using the password reset features within the system and answering the security questions they answered during their first sign-in.
Deactivating an authorized agent account
If an authorized agent is no longer with the organization or their role has changed, the organization is responsible to revoke that user’s access and deactivate their account. To revoke access, the organization should send an email to dhs.costreport@state.mn.us that includes the verifying information listed in the account support section.
The organization must deactivate accounts within the following timelines:
Account support
The DHS Cost Reporting Team manages changes to authorized agent user profiles. To request a change, the authorized agent should email dhs.costreport@state.mn.us.
Before providing information or making changes to an account, the requestor must verify their identity with the following information in their user profile:
1. Username (i.e., email address).
2. Provider’s federal employer identification number (FEIN).
3. Provider’s company name.
4. User’s job title.
5. User’s company address:
Authorized agent role and tasks
The authorized agent is responsible to manage their organization’s cost reporting platform access through three primary functions:
User management (optional)
The authorized agent can fill out a cost report using their authorized agent account. They also can create provider user accounts, so people in their organization can fill out a cost report. An organization can have more than one provider user account, depending on the roles in the organization. For information about provider users, refer to the provider user account section. If the authorized agent also will act as the organization’s provider user, refer to the dual-role users section.
The authorized agent creates provider user accounts on behalf of staff members in the organization who need access to the cost reporting platform. The organization determines the process to request and grant this access.
In the past, authorized agents were not able to fill out the entire report with their authorized agent account. However, this is no longer the case.
Creating provider user accounts
To create a new provider user account, the authorized agent creates a new contact for the staff member in the “contacts” section of the online cost reporting platform. The authorized agent should use an organization-specific email address as the staff member’s username, if possible (e.g., user@agency.com).
Note: Email addresses must be 50 characters or fewer. If this is an issue for your organization, the authorized agent should email dhs.costreport@state.mn.us.
After the authorized agent enters the required information and selects “create new contact” in the system, the system sends an email to the staff member’s email address. The email includes the staff member’s username, temporary password and instructions to access the system. The authorized agents should make sure all provider users save this email for their records.
Screenshot 2: Creating a new contact
Refer to screenshot 2 for an example of the contact information page for the organization’s chief executive officer (CEO), chief financial officer (CFO) and cost report preparer. Only authorized agents can update this information.
Maintaining provider user accounts
The authorized agent must:
This review protects the organization’s information that is accessible through user accounts.
Deactivating provider user accounts
If a provider user no longer needs access to the online cost reporting system, the authorized agent is responsible to revoke that user’s access and deactivate the account.
The authorized agent may activate or deactivate a provider user account by checking or unchecking the “active” checkbox on the user contact in the “contacts” section of the online cost reporting system. Deactivating the account revokes all access privileges.
The authorized agent must deactivate accounts within the following timelines:
Cost report submission
For DHS to consider a cost report submitted, the authorized agent must submit the cost report through their authorized agent account. A provider user account cannot submit the cost report.
After the authorized agent submits the report as final, the cost report is locked and cannot be edited. If the authorized agent submits a cost report in error, the authorized agent should email dhs.costreport@state.mn.us.
Provider user accounts
The authorized agent is responsible to create and manage all provider user accounts in their organization. For information about this process, refer to the creating provider user accounts section.
A provider user cannot create their own account. If a staff member needs access to the online cost reporting system, they must follow the organization’s process to request access from the authorized agent.
Setting up a provider user account
After the authorized agent creates the provider user’s account, the system sends an email to the staff member’s email address. The email includes the staff member’s username, temporary password and instructions to access the system. The first time a provider user signs in to the online cost reporting system, the system will ask them to reset their password and answer security questions they can use to reset their password in the future. The provider user should answer these questions carefully because they are the only way to access a locked account. The provider user must answer these questions, not the authorized agent.
User passwords expire after 90 days of inactivity, which disables use of the account. However, the provider user may choose to reinstate their password using the password reset features within the system and answering the security questions they answered during their first sign-in.
Provider user role and tasks
Provider users can enter and save the necessary information in their organization’s cost report by following the instructions in this manual. Provider users may review, create, update and delete information. They cannot submit the final cost report to DHS.
An organization can have more than one provider user account, depending on the roles in the organization. The authorized agent also can act as the organization’s provider user, by either creating a new username or using their authorized agent account (refer to the dual-role users section).
The provider user enters provider and cost information into the system on the following sections, as applicable:
Dual-role users
In some organizations, the authorized agent also may need to fill out the cost report. In smaller organizations, a single person might act as both the authorized agent and the provider user. In both cases, the authorized agent can fill out the cost report with their authorized agent account.
Every organization must have one authorized agent account. If the authorized agent is a “dual-role user” (i.e., both the authorized agent and the provider user), they do not have to set up a separate provider user account. They can use the same username to complete and submit the report.
Next step
Next, review general guidance about cost allocation.
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