AASD and DSD eList announcement

Date: April 1, 2025
To: Lead agency staff and other interested parties
From: DHS Aging and Adult Services and Disability Services divisions
Purpose: To announce an extension to the duration of MnCHOICES initial assessment validity from 60 days to 365 days
Effective date: July 1, 2025
Contact: For questions about disability waivers or Community First Services and Supports (CFSS), use the DSD Contact Form. For questions about Alternative Care (AC), Essential Community Supports (ECS) and Elderly Waiver (EW), email dhs.aasd.hcbs@state.mn.us.

MnCHOICES initial assessments validity extension

Effective July 1, 2025:

· MnCHOICES initial assessments will be valid for up to 365 days from the initial assessment interview date to establish program eligibility.

· Eligibility updates (EUs) will no longer be available in the MnCHOICES application.

· A new assessment type called “initial assessment review” will be available in MnCHOICES and Medicaid Management Information System (MMIS). This new assessment type is a remote activity the lead agency uses after an initial assessment when the person has a delay in opening to a waiver, CFSS, AC or ECS.

Legal authority

Minn. Stat. §256B.0911, subd. 20 is the legal authority for the changes.

Applicability

This policy only applies to people with MnCHOICES initial assessments completed on or after July 1, 2025.

This policy does not apply to:

· People already eligible for and enrolled in a program. Once the person enrolls in a program, the lead agency must follow existing program rules.

· People who enroll in a program within 60 days of an initial assessment.

· People with MnCHOICES initial assessments completed before July 1, 2025.

Lead agency actions

Before July 1, 2025, lead agencies must follow existing policy to complete all EUs between the 60th and 90th day before the new policy goes into effect. For more information, refer to CBSM – Eligibility update for home and community-based services (HCBS).

Effective July 1, 2025, lead agencies must:

· Use the MnCHOICES Help Desk Contact Form, DHS-6979 to request DHS assistance to use an EU for initial assessments completed from May 2, 2025, to June 30, 2025. DHS will approve the use of an EU for limited circumstances (e.g., people in an assisted living facility requesting EW funding for services from the day of their initial interview).

· Use the initial assessment review to document new changes for the person and open them to a waiver, CFSS, AC or ECS when the person has a delay in opening to a waiver, CFSS, AC or ECS.

DHS actions

DHS is updating training materials and policy manuals to provide guidance. We will provide more information in an eList announcement before July 1, 2025.

Previous eList announcements

AASD LEAD AGENCY ARCHIVE | DSD LEAD AGENCY ARCHIVE | DSD STAKEHOLDER ARCHIVE