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Advocates and families urge pause on —reimagine' waiver; task force seeks more testing and transparency
Summary
Disability advocates, families and task-force members told the Senate committee that the waiver's assessment tools and budget methodology remain untested, could cut some individual budgets sharply and risk continuity of care; several speakers urged a 12–36 month delay.
Multiple family members, service providers and task-force representatives told the Senate Human Services Committee they fear the proposed IMAGINE (reimagine) waiver could destabilize care for high-need Minnesotans if implemented under current assumptions.
Julie Johnson, who identified herself as a task-force participant, urged the committee to consider delaying implementation up to 36 months so the task force can complete statutory findings and test assessment reliability. "Without it, we anticipate increased appeals, litigation and, most importantly, gaps in continuity of care," she said.
Several family members gave stark personal testimony. A registered nurse and parent who testified said the waiver ——was not safe—— as modeled and could imminently threaten lives of those who require 24-hour supports. Jenna Johnson, who testified as a person using services and as a task-force appointee, said the committee materials showed some individual budgets could be cut by roughly 80%, leaving recipients with only hours of support that would not meet needs.
Advocates from the Autism Society and disability organizations reiterated concerns about the reliability of the Choices assessment and the budget model that would drive individual allocations. Julian Nelson, policy director for the Autism Society represented in testimony, asked that the legislature affirm the task force's statutory oversight role and require stakeholder review before any CMS submission.
Why it matters: The IMAGINE waiver represents one of the largest structural changes in disability and long-term services delivery in recent years. Advocates argued that rushing implementation without validated tools and transparent methodology risks higher long-term costs, legal challenges and harm to vulnerable individuals.
What the committee did: Senators acknowledged the concerns; committee leadership proposed at least a one-year pause but noted delaying implementation affects the state forecast and would have fiscal consequences. Committee members and DHS staff agreed further work and clearer data will be required before the legislature signs off on changes.
Next steps: Multiple presenters and the task force recommended delaying rollout until the task force finishes its January 2027 report and DHS provides more complete testing results and transparency on services covered, budget models and implementation safeguards.
