Gov. moves to protect in-home services for seniors
Gov. Mark Dayton is asking his Health and Human Services commissioner to delay a law set to take effect on Wednesday.
The law would take away in-home health services from a few thousand Minnesota senior citizens.
The 2009 Legislature tightened eligibility for some senior citizen in-home services, leaving about 3,300 seniors no longer eligible for the program starting Jan. 1.
Dayton wants the changes pushed back one year so the 2014 Legislature can reexamine the law. He also wants assurance that necessary community supports are in place and properly functioning to offset the loss of the in-home services.
Health and human service spending is one of the biggest areas of budget growth for state government and lawmakers are trying to find ways of containing the growth without eliminating essential services.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.