AASD and DSD eList announcement

Date: July 28, 2026
To: Lead agencies
From: DHS Aging and Adult Services and Disability Services divisions
Purpose: To announce changes to the process for people who turn 65 on the Brain Injury (BI), Community Alternative Care (CAC) and Community Access for Disability Inclusion (CADI) waivers
Effective: Aug. 1, 2026
Contact: For questions about disability waivers, 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.

Changes to the process for 65th birthday assessments on BI, CAC and CADI

Effective Aug. 1, 2026, DHS will only require counties/Tribal Nations to complete a 65th birthday assessment for a person on the BI, CAC or CADI waiver when they want to move to either:

· Another disability waiver.

· Elderly Waiver (EW).

Previous policy required this assessment for all people on BI, CAC or CADI within the four months surrounding their 65th birthday. Assessors must now select the assessment type reassessment in MnCHOICES when conducting assessments within this window and enter activity type 06 (reassessment) into MMIS.

Instructions for the informed-choice conversation

During the person’s 64th year, the assessor and case manager must have conversations with the person to ensure they make an informed choice about their services. The person may choose to:

· Stay on their current waiver.

· Switch to EW or a different disability waiver if they meet eligibility criteria.

To document this conversation, the case manager must complete the new form, Checklist for 65th Birthday Discussion, DHS-8691, and upload it into MnCHOICES. For more information about this form, refer to CBSM – Resource: 65th birthday discussion.

DHS recommends counties/Tribal Nations continue these conversations each year to ensure the person makes an annual informed choice about which waiver meets their needs. Counties/Tribal Nations are not required to document these continued conversations using DHS-8691 in MnCHOICES.

Instructions for the MnCHOICES assessment

If the person chooses to explore EW or a different disability waiver, the case manager uses MnCHOICES Communication Form, DHS-6791E to request a reassessment.

If the person chooses to stay on their current waiver and does not have a change in need, the case manager continues the waiver until the person’s annual reassessment. Counties/Tribal Nations are no longer required to complete an assessment at the time of the person’s 65th birthday.

Resources

For more information, refer to CBSM – Assessment applicability and timelines and CBSM – MnCHOICES assessment process.

Previous eList announcements

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