Minnesota officials offer compromise on nursing care coverage as parents push for answers

An update on the insurance issue between Medica and families of children who need in-home nursing care.

Six-year-old Gwen needs 24/7 care. Medica told the family they will cut care to 120 visits a year. 

Gwen's father, Nick Kies, said, "My daughter doesn't stop needing nursing care at the end of 120 visits. At 121 visits, who's gonna pick it up?"

After a bipartisan push led by Sen. Liz Boldon, DFL-Rochester, lawmakers didn't pass a law.

In a last effort before an insurance deadline, the families met with officials from the Office of Gov. Tim Walz in hopes they would use a 2010 statute to protect their coverage.

Bolden said, "I mean, disappointment is not a strong enough word. Just, I'm angry. As a state, it feels like we have failed these families over and over and again, and that meeting felt like just another time when we have failed these families."

The original decision meant families would get 120 brief nurse visits per year. The state offered a compromise of saying that instead of a few hours, those visits could now be for a full 24 hours.

Boldon said, "Nurses don't work in 24-hour shifts. I feel like the department thinks maybe they are doing something a little helpful, but it's not, and it's not enough."

Kies says the fight continues.

"I told them that at the end of the meeting that this is your notice. We are going to keep fighting and this is going to be the largest civil and disability lawsuit in the country. And we're putting you on notice right now that kids are going to die as a result of your inaction," he said.

The governor's office told WCCO he shares the concerns of these families and is calling on the Minnesota Legislature to act.  He is also asking the Department of Commerce to explore more solutions.

"Governor Walz shares the valid concerns of these families with complex medical needs," the governor's office said in a statement. "He believes strongly that the state legislature can and should strengthen protections for Minnesota kids with disabilities. In the meantime, he has instructed the Department of Commerce to explore any potential administrative solutions. The Governor also believes these insurance companies should not be let off the hook for trying to make an outrageous profit off the families that most urgently need assistance."

Medica gave WCCO the following statement earlier this year:

"We routinely review how we manage benefits on behalf of members to ensure we're aligned with state laws and other insurance carriers regarding how we administer benefits. In 2026 we have made changes to how benefits are administered for individuals who are dual enrolled with a Medica plan and enrolled in Minnesota's Medical Assistance program. We notified impacted members in May 2025 and recommended they work with their county waiver case manager to help avoid any disruption in care once plan benefit limits have been reached because home care services are a covered Medicaid benefit."