Insurers Will Limit Minnesota Home Care Coverage in 2027
Providers of home nursing should prepare for a 120-visit cap on coverage as Minnesota insurers adjust 2027 plans.
Updated on Oct. 13, 2026 in Nursing Jobs
Live Poll
Do you trust insurance companies to provide adequate home care coverage for patients with complex needs?
Health insurers Medica and HealthPartners will limit home care nursing coverage for dually enrolled patients starting in 2027. Under these updated plans, insurers will cap coverage at 120 visits per year.
Why it matters
The change follows a dispute between state regulators and insurers regarding the interpretation of a 2010 state law, prompting concerns about the future of patient care access. Insurers attribute the limits to regulatory guidance, while state officials contend the move aims to reduce costs for services long covered by existing policies.
Medica will cap coverage at 120 visits in 2027, with each visit defined by insurers as up to 24 hours of care. This shift comes as a 2026 legislative effort to reinforce 2010 state coverage requirements failed to pass the Minnesota House.
The players
Medica
A health insurance provider that manages health plans for patients across Minnesota.
HealthPartners
A Minnesota-based health insurer and care delivery organization.
Minnesota Department of Commerce
The state agency responsible for the regulation of insurance and consumer protection policies.
Minnesota Council of Health Plans
An industry association representing health insurers operating within the state.
Governor Walz
The Governor of Minnesota who oversees the state administration and its regulatory departments.
The details
The conflict centers on how insurers define a home care visit versus the interpretation held by the Minnesota Department of Commerce. By extending the definition of a single visit to 24 hours, insurers argue they are maintaining coverage options while managing costs, whereas the state maintains this reclassification effectively reduces the total available care. This dispute remains unresolved following the failure of 2026 legislation designed to codify stricter mandates.
Timeline
2010: State law passed requiring insurers to cover home care.
Spring 2026: Minnesota legislative session occurred.
September 2026: Governor Walz's spokesperson issued a statement.
October 1, 2026: Minnesota Council of Health Plans issued a statement.
2027: Health insurers will limit home care nursing visits.
Market Landscape
This move represents a departure from the long-standing interpretation of the 2010 Minnesota state law requiring home care coverage. The dispute mirrors a broader tension between regulatory mandates and insurer efforts to manage escalating costs through plan design.
Operators in the home care space should review 2027 payer contracts to understand how these visit caps will impact patient billing and scheduling. Businesses should prepare for potential administrative changes if the state pursues a permanent legislative fix in the next session.
The takeaway
The tension between insurer plan design and state-mandated coverage illustrates the complexity of navigating regulatory definitions. Operators should track legislative updates from the Minnesota government to anticipate if these coverage caps will be superseded by new state mandates.
Further reading
For more on the changing requirements for providers, visit the Nursing Jobs section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Rochester Post Bulletin.
Live Poll
Do you trust insurance companies to provide adequate home care coverage for patients with complex needs?
