Minn. DHS says CFSS rollout on track but consultation capacity, provider enrollment causing delays

Assistant Commissioner Natasha Mers, the assistant commissioner for aging and disability services at the Minnesota Department of Human Services, told a Senate committee that Minnesota is midstream in converting the state’s Personal Care Assistance (PCA) program to Community First Services and Supports (CFSS), a redesign she said expands self‑direction and eligible services for people who receive PCA.

Mers said the department received federal approval for the CFSS implementation on 02/27/2024 and that, when fully converted, “there are nearly 50,000 people that are using PCA services that could become authorized for CFSS” and “approximately 900 PCA provider agencies” will need to transition. She said the CFSS option allows new allowances — including payment to parents of minor children and spouses providing support and the ability to use budget funds to buy goods or services in lieu of one‑to‑one personal care — and that CFSS offers access to neutral consultation services to help people choose between an agency model and a self‑directed budget model.

The department and provider witnesses described several implementation bottlenecks that are…