Minnesota Administrative Rules
Agency 192 - Veterans Affairs Department
Chapter 9050 - VETERANS HOMES
ADMISSIONS, DISCHARGES, COST OF CARE CALCULATIONS, AND MAINTENANCE CHARGES
Part 9050.0055 - ADMISSIONS PROCESS, WAITING LIST, PRIORITY

Subpart 1. Process.

A person seeking admission to a facility operated by the commissioner of veterans affairs may obtain an application form and information describing the required application procedures from the facility. The social services staff of the facility operated by the commissioner of veterans affairs shall assist the person to complete the application form and process. When an application is requested, the staff shall provide a checklist of items requiring documentation, information, or verification to complete the application.

Subp. 1a. Preadmission screening.

The staff of the facility operated by the commissioner of veterans affairs shall conduct a preadmission screening of applicants, similar to that prescribed in Minnesota Statutes, section 256B.0911, in order to determine whether the person meets the general eligibility requirements in part 9050.0050. If these requirements are met, an applicant's name and application file must be referred to the admissions committee or be placed on the waiting list for the particular facility as specified in subpart 3.

Subp. 1b. Admission application.

Prior to admission, the staff shall obtain the following information about an applicant. Any deviation from these procedures must be approved by the administrator. If the procedures are deviated from, the administrator must obtain information that is equivalent to the following items:

Subp. 2. Timing of review by admissions committee.

The admissions committee shall review an application for admission according to items A and B, and determine the applicant's suitability for admission to a facility operated by the commissioner of veterans affairs as determined by the criteria in part 9050.0070, subparts 3 and 4.

Subp. 3. Waiting lists.

Each facility operated by the commissioner of veterans affairs shall maintain an active waiting list and an inactive waiting list to determine the admission priority of applicants. The active waiting list is for applicants desiring the first available bed at the level of care appropriate to the applicant's needs. The inactive waiting list is for those applicants who do not currently want to exercise their option for admission, or who have not yet met the established criteria for admission.

If an eligible applicant cannot be considered for admission to a facility operated by the commissioner of veterans affairs with an appropriate level of care due to unavailability of a bed, the applicant must be placed on either an active or inactive waiting list according to preference. An applicant shall indicate preference for the active or inactive waiting list on the application form. As part of the preadmission screening, the applicant's indicated preference for the waiting lists must be reviewed and amended if appropriate. An applicant may request movement from one waiting list to another at any time, unless the request is precluded by subpart 5. An applicant requesting movement from one waiting list to another must be placed at the bottom of the waiting list to which movement was requested. The applicant's position on the waiting list is determined by the date on which the application form is received.

Subp. 4. Priority.

If it is determined by the utilization review committee that a current resident needs a level of care not offered at the facility operated by the commissioner of veterans affairs where the resident is staying, the current resident has priority for consideration for admission to other facilities operated by the commissioner of veterans affairs at an appropriate level of care if they meet the criteria for that level of care and a bed is available. A person who is discharged for failure to meet bed hold criteria in part 9050.0150, subpart 2 or 3, has priority for consideration for admission to a facility operated by the commissioner of veterans affairs at an appropriate level of care if the person meets the criteria for that level of care and a bed is available. A person on the active waiting list must be considered for admission and, if approved by the admissions committee, offered a bed consistent with the person's position on the active waiting list and the patient classification system and level of care needs as determined by the admissions committee. A person offered admission has three working days to consider the offer. If the person declines the offer of admission, the person's name must be put on the bottom of the active waiting list, unless the person requests removal from the active waiting list or transfer to the inactive waiting list. If the person fails to respond to the offer of admission within three working days from the date the offer is made, the person's application file must be closed and the person's name removed from all waiting lists. A person whose name is removed from all waiting lists for failure to respond to an offer for admission must reapply.

A bed must be held without charge for an approved applicant for up to three working days from the date of acceptance of the offer of admission. The bed may be held open for an additional period of time at the discretion of the administrator. A bed held under this subpart is a reserved bed.

Subp. 5. Limitations on refusals to exercise option for admission from active waiting list.

A person who is placed on the waiting list and who twice refuses an opportunity for admission must be removed from the active waiting list and placed on the inactive waiting list. The person is not permitted to transfer to the active waiting list for one year from the date the person refused an opportunity for admission unless the person can verify by an attending physician a significant change in health status since the date of last refusal. "Significant change" means the worsening of an applicant's medical condition due to an unexpected health condition such as a sudden stroke or heart attack.

Subp. 6. Initial financial status review.

The facility financial staff shall evaluate the financial status of a person who has either been approved for admission or who is anticipated to be within 60 days of reaching the top of the waiting list. The purpose of the initial financial status review is to determine the person's ability to pay toward the cost of care and to calculate the person's maintenance charge. The financial status review must be conducted according to parts 9050.0800 to 9050.0900. The maintenance charge calculation must be according to part 9050.0560.