On Tuesday, June 23, Senator Andrew Mathews (R–Princeton) and Representative Shane Mekeland (R–Clear Lake), along with leaders of Big Lake’s Options, Inc., hosted a public town hall to discuss problems with the Minnesota Department of Human Services’ provider revalidation process.

In May, Options, Inc. was notified by DHS that it had been disenrolled. Its ability to bill for services was paused and later restored in June. However, the nonprofit still received notice that it would need to shut down operations by the end of July. The conflicting messages created uncertainty, fear, and frustration among Options employees, clients, and their families.

“It should not take a press conference to get Governor Walz’s agency to finally do the right thing and get the issue corrected,” said Sen. Mathews. “The disruption, fear, and uncertainty that DHS caused through its own administrative mistakes threatened the care of vulnerable adults, the peace of mind of their loved ones, and the livelihood of legitimate providers doing great work in our communities. The Governor and DHS need to fix their broken process immediately and learn to tell the difference between a legitimate provider and a fraudulent one.”

Amidst the public outcry and negative media coverage of the issue, Options was contacted by a DHS supervisor and notified that it would be revalidated and would not be forced to shut down. While the outcome was a relief, the process created unnecessary fear and uncertainty for the hundreds of clients the organization serves.

Brenda Geldert, Executive Director of Options, was grateful that the organization was ultimately reauthorized to continue providing services, but she voiced frustration about the flaws in the process and the negative impacts on the community.

“For weeks, nearly 200 Minnesotans with disabilities, their families, and our employees lived with uncertainty about whether these services would continue,” said Geldert. “No provider, family, or person receiving services should have to endure that level of fear and disruption because of an administrative process.

“While Options has received a positive outcome, we know other providers across Minnesota continue to face questions and uncertainty. Our hope today is not simply to discuss what happened to Options, but to explore how government agencies and community providers need to work together as true partners to create a system that is transparent, timely, and focused on preserving services for the people who depend on them.”

DHS initiated the provider revalidation process for more than 5,000 service providers across Minnesota as part of the state’s implementation of a corrective action plan required by the federal government to address Minnesota’s fraud crisis and continue receiving federal funding. DHS has revalidated more than 2,000 providers, but more than 3,000 have not yet been revalidated, with many legitimate providers left in limbo due to DHS mistakes or delays.

More than 250 people attended the town hall, including clients, their families and numerous disability service providers. They voiced similar frustrations with DHS’ revalidation process, with some reporting they had been shut down or were facing looming shutdowns without a clear explanation from the department.

Options, Inc. has served the Big Lake community for 47 years and currently supports approximately 200 adults with disabilities.