Enhanced MnCHOICES platform is single source of truth for HCBS program data in Minnesota
A direct support worker may help prepare meals, oversee the taking of medication or assist with physical therapy exercises. They may even help individuals bathe or use the restroom.
Determining what types of services individuals are eligible to receive often involves in-depth and intimate discussions. This information informs the assessment and eligibility determination and feeds into support planning. And for assessors in Minnesota, these traditionally complex assessments just got a whole lot easier.
FEI Systems recently implemented a cloud-hosted version of the state’s assessment platform, MnCHOICES. This universal assessment tool is used by the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) to determine participant eligibility for the State’s HCBS waiver and Personal Care Assistance programs. Minnesota developed a way for a variety of assessment types to be conducted all in one place and inform support plans for eligible participants across a variety of programs. This comprehensive platform integrates assessments, person-centered care planning and rate setting for DHS, and has helped bring data across DHS LTSS programs all under one roof.
Prior to our involvement with Minnesota, agencies managing HCBS programs conducted assessments and support plans in different platforms. That’s why our recent implementation allows counties, managed care organizations and tribal nations to conduct assessments that inform person-centered plans of care in the same platform.
The MnCHOICES application is now a single platform for more than 500 county human service agencies, managed care organizations, tribal nations and contracted case management entities to conduct assessments and create support plans. Our implementation saves time and energy by allowing staff to work in one platform to support individuals in their community who need HCBS services. MnCHOICES interfaces with State databases so assessors do not have to move between various software applications to have everything they need to ensure quality service delivery for those in need of services.
For the assessment functionality, FEI implemented a logic tree to eliminate redundant questions and improve the system’s ability to comprehend a wider variety of answers in the assessment. And, we linked the support planning features to the assessment tool, letting care coordinators seamlessly transition from the streamlined assessment to support planning—saving time and ensuring compliance with requirements from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Also, part of this implementation was the first of its kind digital complex rate setting tool. The tool is semi-automated, and it accounts for very complex rate setting criteria, as determined by Minnesota DHS. With our solution, DHS administrators can update some of the rates charged for services easily and often, without our involvement. Administrators simply select qualifiers for participants and the type of service needed. Then, the system calculates the rates for providers’ services and offers an accurate picture of how resources are used. This tool offers greater understanding of program members’ needs and how services are being paid for.
We anticipate more than 5,000 users will routinely access MnCHOICES from the MN DHS, counties, managed care organizations, tribal nations and contracted case management to coordinate the services for, or provide care for, more than 110,000 program participants. As DHS needs evolve, we look forward to a continued, successful partnership.
