Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Dd Waiver Nursing Support topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bill to add nursing support for adults with developmental disability and Type 1 diabetes laid over
Summary
The committee laid over House File 19,78 after hearing family testimony that MNChoices assessment does not account for high‑intensity interactions, such as severe developmental disability plus Type 1 diabetes. The bill would add nursing hours under the DD waiver for specific cases.
House File 19,78, introduced by Representative Norris, would add narrowly tailored nursing supports under the DD waiver for people whose complex needs — specifically the interaction of severe developmental disability with Type 1 diabetes — are not adequately captured by the current MNChoices assessment.
Representative Norris told the committee the bill grew from a constituent meeting with Sean O'Keefe, who described his daughter Kenzie’s needs: the MNChoices algorithm allocates roughly 25 minutes per day for diabetes management but fails to account for someone with severe developmental disability who needs round‑the‑clock care. “When you pair that type 1 diabetes diagnosis with a severe developmental disability, Kenzie is someone who needs round the clock care,” O'Keefe testified.
Nut graf: Sponsors said the proposal is a narrowly tailored fix for a known assessment gap that leaves families responsible for intensive nursing care after school supports end. Testifiers asked the committee to treat the measure as a targeted remedy while longer‑term assessment reforms proceed.
Testimony: Sean O'Keefe described that Minnesota law requires insulin administration by either a parent or a nurse, and that the family’s expectation that some care would translate from school supports to a waiver did not occur. “This bill does solve the problem. … It asks for 9 hours of nursing care,” he said. Janelle Trebojevic, who testified on behalf of her daughter Lexi, described similar needs and said the lack of nursing support forces families to consider job loss or impossible scheduling tradeoffs.
Support and next steps: Representative Gander said she supports the bill as a stopgap while also pursuing broader solutions for complex, interacting conditions that the MNChoices tool may miss. Representative Norris said she looks forward to continuing work to make the assessment system work for families with complex needs. The committee laid the bill over for possible inclusion in a future omnibus bill.
Ending: Sponsors and families said the measure is intended as a narrow remedy while broader assessment work continues.
