Legislative Updates

Issues MOTA is currently monitoring or working towards:

• Increasing access to OT services across the mental health continuum of care in Minnesota
• • Update as of April 2025: The bills (SF 1811 and HF 1044) we introduced to the MN House and Senate unfortunately did not receive a committee hearing this year. The good news is that we will not have to re-introduce the bill next year as this session is the first of the biennium. We will advocate for this legislation again in the 2026 legislative session. 
• Caps to OT services under MN Medicaid
• Prior authorization requirements and the process
• Compact licensure requirements and process for obtaining licensure
• Changes in school-based occupational therapy billing practices

Reimbursement Updates

Effective January 1st 2026 - Changes to Prior Authorization 

Click here to review notes from Karen Sames presentation on Changes in Reimbursement and Licensure Updates presented on 09/16/2025 to see updated information on prior authorization. Access the full video presentation here. 

MN License Board Updates

Changes to MN Licensure Includes - Scope of Practice, Licensure and Renewal Requirements, Continuing Education Requirements, and Fees, Compact Licensure, Disciplinary Action, and Board Members Changes.

Click here to review notes from Karen Sames presentation on Changes in Reimbursement and Licensure Updates presented on 09/16/2025. Access the full video presentation here. 

Regulatory Updates

MHCPs include Medical Assistance, MNCare, and other health care programs administered by the Minnesota Department of Human Services.  This regulatory change does not impact clients who have Medicare or private insurance as the primary payers. 

Effective immediately, the rules for allowing students to treat clients in these MHCPs have changed.  The rule changes will allow occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants who provide appropriate supervision of students, to bill and receive payment for the services provided by a student.  The supervision must be provided on site.  Please click on the "Therapy Students Providing Care" link, below, to get the details of this change. 

MOTA believes that this change will allow for greater opportunities for level I and level II fieldwork students to gain experience in settings that serve populations covered by MHCPs and reduce the supervisory burden on fieldwork supervisors.

The following information changed on the MHCP Provider website:

We made the following update to the MHCP Provider Manual – Rehab Rehabilitation Services:

• · Revised "Therapy Students Providing Care" section to clarify when services provided by therapy students can be billed
• · Added a section called "Eligible Ordering and Referring Providers"
• · Corrected Physical Therapy provider titles
• · Added a statement indicating Speech Language Pathologist Assistants are not eligible for Minnesota Health Care Programs enrollment or payment
• · Clarified definition of "Practitioner of the Healing Arts" to remove oral surgeon and optometrist and add physician, clinical nurse specialist and certified nurse midwife

Looking for timely updates on various topics from MN Department of Human Services?

If you are curious about staying up to date with the happenings of the Department of Human Services in Minnesota, you can sign up for email updates on numerous topics affecting the OT profession in Minnesota directly on their webpage: https://mn.gov/dhs/general-public/publications-forms-resources/email-subscriptions/

Looking for updates from AOTA?

If you are wanting to stay up to date on advocacy efforts nationally, please visits the AOTA Advocacy website. Here you can find key issues AOTA is monitoring at a national level that impact the OT profession, suggestions for practicing advocacy daily, how to engage with policy makers, and much more. You can also browse topics and take action on agenda items you care about through the AOTA Legislative Action Center.