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DHS outlines provisional licensure start for autism EIDBI services; agency received five applications
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Summary
DHS told the House HHS committee that provisional licensure for EIDBI (autism services) begins Jan. 1, 2026, agencies must apply by the end of May, DHS has a provider moratorium for new EIDBI enrollments, and as of mid-February DHS had received five complete provisional-licensure applications.
Department of Human Services officials described steps to implement provisional licensure for Early Intensive Developmental Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI), the Medicaid autism service, and fielded lawmakers’ questions about provider oversight and safeguards.
Christy Grum, speaking for DHS, said the agency launched the provisional-licensure application in January 2026. Provisional licensing is scheduled to begin Jan. 1, 2026; agencies have until the end of May to submit applications and DHS expects to review applications and determine provisional approvals or denials by December 2026. DHS reported that as of mid-February it had received five complete applications.
Grum said the legislature authorized a provisional licensure process as part of 2025 changes after a multi-part study, and that the law allows DHS to enter provider premises without advance notice to investigate maltreatment reports, issue corrective actions and sanctions, and to require enhanced revalidation of high-risk providers.
DHS obtained a provider-enrollment moratorium from CMS effective Nov. 1, 2025, which temporarily stops new EIDBI providers from enrolling while current providers pursue provisional licensure. Grum said DHS is building public and internal dashboards to track applicants and licensure status, has posted guidance and an FAQ for providers, and is hiring additional staff (about eight positions) for licensing work.
Committee members including Representative Hicks (who identified herself as a parent of a child who received EIDBI) underscored the service’s prevalence and importance in Minnesota; Hicks cited state data and urged careful, timely implementation to maintain access. Members asked DHS for a list of Medicaid-tied services that are not licensed and for clarification about whether other agencies (for example, local law enforcement or federal investigators) can enter EIDBI or similar program sites without notice; DHS said it would follow up and coordinate with other agencies to minimize provider and participant disruption.
Grum also described program-integrity steps linked to high-risk designations — including more frequent revalidation (every three years for higher-risk services) and enhanced background studies such as fingerprinting — and said DHS may return with policy proposals to align state law and CMS corrective-action expectations.
DHS said it will continue community engagement with the EIDBI advisory council and post updates to its website; the committee will continue the discussion in a follow-up hearing.
